mahogany

noun

ma·​hog·​a·​ny mə-ˈhä-gə-nē 

plural mahoganies

1

: the wood of any of various chiefly tropical trees (family Meliaceae, the mahogany family):

a(1)

: the durable yellowish-brown to reddish-brown usually moderately hard and heavy wood of a West Indian tree (Swietenia mahagoni) that is widely used for cabinetwork and fine finish work

(2)

: a wood similar to mahogany from a congeneric tropical American tree (especially S. macrophylla)

b(1)

: the rather hard heavy usually odorless wood of any of several African trees (genus Khaya)

(2)

: the rather lightweight cedar-scented wood of any of several African trees (genus Entandrophragma) that varies in color from pinkish to deep reddish brown

2

: any of various woods resembling or substituted for mahogany obtained from trees of the mahogany family

3

: a tree that yields mahogany

4

: a moderate reddish brown

Examples of mahogany in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The bag also comes in cute and fun designs and colors, like this wildflower print, this wild leopard print, and this stylish mahogany shade. —Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026

Beneath the coat, Tindall wore a black turtleneck and mahogany brown skirt. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 2 Jan. 2026

All feature amenities like REN toiletries and iPod docks, while tubs, Kohler multi-jet showers, furnished terraces, four-poster beds, mahogany writing desks, and other unique touches. —Sandra Ramani, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Dec. 2025

On the water, a 35-foot mahogany Van Dam runabout marries vintage wooden-boat craftsmanship with 1,100 hp of modern grunt. —John Vorwald, Robb Report, 28 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mahogany

• African mahogany
• mountain mahogany
• Philippine mahogany

Kids Definition

mahogany

noun

ma·​hog·​a·​ny mə-ˈhäg-ə-nē 

plural mahoganies

1

: the wood of any of various chiefly tropical trees: as

a

: the strong usually reddish brown and heavy wood of a West Indian tree that is widely used to make furniture

b

: any of several African woods that vary in color from pinkish to deep reddish brown

2

: any of various woods resembling or substituted for true mahogany

3

: a tree from which mahogany is obtained

4

: a moderate reddish brown