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

Ivory Lodge rooms, done in ebony and ivory, have African artifacts and views of the reserve and its animals from private terraces with plunge pools, while the cream and beige rooms at River Lodge have freestanding tubs as well as indoor and outdoor showers. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

The ear cups are made from exotic Macassar ebony which is a dense and visually striking hardwood with deep brown tones enhanced by golden-brown striations. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Adjective

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

This time in an ebony wig and black and silver pants ensemble, Cher, a pair of effervescent dancers and a trio of background singers plowed through the song as fake snow fell from the rafters. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025

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