ebony

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a very dark black
  2. noun hard dark-colored heartwood of the ebony tree; used in cabinetwork and for piano keys
  3. noun tropical tree of southern Asia having hard dark-colored heartwood used in cabinetwork

Etymology

From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3

In classic literature

Synonyms

coal black, jet black, pitch black, sable, soot black

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