# ivory

Pronunciation: say "EYE-vuh-ree" /ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/

## Noun

1. The hard white form of dentin that makes up the tusks of elephants, walruses, and other animals.
   - Simple: The hard white material that forms the tusks of elephants and some other animals.
   - _The international trade in ivory has been banned to protect wild elephants._
   - _Skilled artisans carved the walrus ivory into tiny figurines._
2. A creamy white color, matching the pale shade of elephant tusks.
   - Simple: A soft, creamy white color, like that of elephant tusks.
   - _The designer preferred ivory to stark white for the gallery walls._
   - _Old letters often fade to a warm ivory over the years._
5. An object made from tusk material, or one that resembles it.
   - Simple: An object made from or looking like the material from tusks.
   - _The auction featured several antique ivories from across Asia._
   - _She displayed a tiny ivory beside the jade figures._
6. The keys of a piano, especially the white keys rather than the black ones.
   - Simple: The keys of a piano, especially the white ones.
   - _The jazz pianist's hands flew across the ivories all night._
   - _Each ivory on the antique grand had been carefully restored._
7. A person's teeth, thought of as white like the material of tusks.
   - Simple: The teeth in a person's mouth, seen as white.
   - _The old sailor grinned, baring a row of yellowed ivories._
   - _A single chipped ivory spoiled his otherwise bright smile._
8. A die: a small numbered object thrown in games of chance. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A small cube marked with numbers, thrown in games of chance.
   - _The gambler tossed the ivories across the green felt._
   - _He palmed a single ivory, weighing his next bet._
9. A white person, in slang use drawn from the pale, creamy color of ivory. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A slang term for a white-skinned person.
   - _The dockworkers nodded at the ivory who joined their card game._
   - _He was the rare ivory welcomed into the late-night gathering._

## Adjective

3. Resembling or having the creamy white color of elephant tusks.
   - Simple: Having a soft, creamy white color.
   - _His ivory shirt stood out against the dark suit._
   - _The cafe's ivory tablecloths gave it an elegant look._
4. Made of the hard white material taken from elephant or walrus tusks.
   - Simple: Made from the tusks of elephants or similar animals.
   - _Collectors prize the antique ivory carvings of past centuries._
   - _The old chess set came with finely cut ivory pieces._

## Origin

From Middle English yvory, from Anglo-Norman ivurie, from Latin eboreus ("of ivory"), the adjective of ebur ("ivory"). This traces back through Demotic and Egyptian ꜣbw ("elephant, ivory") to Proto-Afroasiatic *leb-. It displaced the native Old English elpendbān, literally "elephant bone."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/ivory (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).