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ebony
ebony common name for members of the Ebenaceae, a family of trees and shrubs widely distributed in warmer climates and in the tropics. The principal genus, Diospyros, includes both ebony and persimmon trees. Ebony wood, valued from ancient times, is hard and dark; it is extensively used for piano keys and in cabinetmaking, especially the black Macassar ebony of India and the East Indies. Several species (notably D. hirsuta ) that have wood striped with black or with shades of brown are called calamander wood or variegated ebony. Several other unrelated hardwoods are commonly called ebony. Of the many species in the family bearing edible fruit, the best known are the persimmons. D. virginiana is native in the United States E of the Mississippi. The Japanese persimmon ( D. kaki ) is cultivated in Japan and China, in the Mediterranean area, and in the warmer regions of the United States. The unripe fruit contains tannic acid, a powerful astringent. Soft and pulpy when ripe, persimmons are difficult to market. Large quantities are eaten on the tree by opossums, whence the name possumwood for the tree. Persimmon wood has a limited use in the manufacture of objects (e.g., golf club heads) requiring hard wood. The ebony family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta , order Ebenales, class Magnoliopsida. |
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"ebony." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ebony." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ebony.html "ebony." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ebony.html |
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ebony
eb·on·y / ˈebənē/ • n. heavy blackish or very dark brown timber from a mainly tropical tree (genera Diospyros and Euclea, family Ebenaceae). ∎ a very dark brown or black color. ORIGIN: late Middle English: from earlier ebon (via Old French and Latin from Greek ebenos ‘ebony tree’. |
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"ebony." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ebony." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ebony.html "ebony." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ebony.html |
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ebony
ebony XVI (hebeny). Preceded by †eban (XV) — OF. eban (also ebaine, mod. ébène) — medL. ebanus, var. of L. (h)ebenus — Gr. ébenos ebony tree, of Sem. orig.; later ebon (XVI), latinized (h)eben, which was superseded by forms with -y, perh. after ivory.
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T. F. HOAD. "ebony." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "ebony." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ebony.html T. F. HOAD. "ebony." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ebony.html |
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ebony
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"ebony." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ebony." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ebony.html "ebony." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ebony.html |
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ebony
ebony a heavy blackish or very dark brown wood, traditionally taken as the type of intense blackness. The name is recorded from late Middle English and comes from earlier ebon (via Old French and Latin from Greek ebenos ‘ebony tree’), perhaps on the pattern of ivory.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "ebony." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "ebony." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-ebony.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "ebony." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-ebony.html |
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Ebony
Ebony ♀ From the name of the deeply black wood (Late Latin ebenius, from Greek ebenos, ultimately of Egyptian origin). From the 1970s the name was adopted by African Americans as a symbol of pride in their colour and has enjoyed considerable popularity.
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PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Ebony." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Ebony." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Ebony.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Ebony." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Ebony.html |
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ebony
ebony See DIOSPYROS.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "ebony." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "ebony." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-ebony.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "ebony." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-ebony.html |
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ebony
ebony
•Léonie, peony
•Tierney
•Briony, bryony, Hermione
•tourney • ebony • Albany
•chalcedony • Alderney
•Persephone, Stephanie, telephony
•antiphony, epiphany, polyphony, tiffany
•symphony
•cacophony, homophony, theophany, Zoffany
•euphony • agony • garganey
•Antigone
•cosmogony, mahogany, theogony
•balcony • Gascony • Tuscany
•calumny
•felony, Melanie, miscellany
•villainy • colony
•Chamonix, salmony, scammony, Tammany
•harmony
•anemone, Emeny, hegemony, lemony, Yemeni
•alimony, palimony
•agrimony • acrimony
•matrimony, patrimony
•ceremony • parsimony • antimony
•sanctimony • testimony • simony
•Romany • Germany • threepenny
•timpani • sixpenny • tuppenny
•accompany, company
•barony • saffrony • tyranny
•synchrony • irony • saxony • cushiony
•Anthony • betony
•Brittany, dittany, litany
•botany, cottony, monotony
•gluttony, muttony
•Bethany • oniony • raisiny
•attorney, Burney, Czerny, Ernie, ferny, gurney, journey, Verny
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"ebony." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ebony." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-ebony.html "ebony." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-ebony.html |
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