ebony

1 of 2

noun

eb·​o·​ny ˈe-bə-nē 

plural ebonies

1

: a hard heavy blackish wood yielded by various tropical chiefly southeast Asian trees (genus Diospyros of the family Ebenaceae, the ebony family)

2

a

: a tree yielding ebony

b

: any of several trees yielding wood like ebony

ebony

2 of 2

adjective

1

: made of or resembling ebony

2

: black, dark

Synonyms of ebony

Adjective

• black

Examples of ebony in a Sentence

Adjective

the ebony loudspeakers on their chrome stands look very sleek and modern

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Neutrals work well with graphic metallics, while navy and ebony create a moody feel. — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 14 Mar. 2026

Elephant dung might be the surprising key to saving a species, protecting rare ebony and shaping the future of guitar-making. — Kimberly Richardson, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

Adjective

Jenner's ebony mane was done in tousled waves. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026

The color palette included ebony, black and oak tones. — Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 21 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Late Latin hebeninus of ebony, from Greek ebeninos, from ebenos ebony, from Egyptian hbnj

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ebony

1 of 2 noun

eb·​o·​ny ˈeb-ə-nē 

plural ebonies

1

: a hard heavy blackish wood of various tropical chiefly southeast Asian trees related to the persimmon

2

: a tree that produces ebony

ebony

2 of 2 adjective

1

: made of or resembling ebony

2

: black entry 1 sense 1