mahogany

noun

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ma·hog·a·ny | \ mə-ˈhä-gə-nē

plural mahoganies

Definition of mahogany

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 home, which Lebedev bought in 2007, reflects his own peculiar mix of Old and New World interests, with works by modern artists set against acres of mahogany and silk damask. — Simon Usborne, Town & Country, "The Dizzying Social Rise of Russian Scion Evgeny Lebedev," 21 Feb. 2021 Violent intruders rifled through their centuries-old mahogany desks and personal papers and sent them fleeing down a back stairway for their lives, as the mob loudly threatened the life of their presiding officer, Vice President Mike Pence. — New York Times, "McConnell, Denouncing Trump After Voting to Acquit, Says His Hands Were Tied," 13 Feb. 2021 There’s also a living room with a fireplace, an indoor-outdoor dining room and a center-island kitchen marked by mahogany and bluestone. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, "Matt Damon’s Zen retreat in the Palisades lists for $21 million," 20 Jan. 2021 Dresses, laid on beds of tissue and placed in hundreds of shallow wooden drawers, are packed into ceiling-high mahogany cupboards. — Moira Hodgson, WSJ, "‘Patch Work’ Review: A Stitch in Time," 15 Jan. 2021 Carlo Bugatti inlaid mahogany tea table and its companion tea and coffee service, made of gilt silver festooned with ivory tusks. — Steven Litt, cleveland, "Free offerings on Cleveland Museum of Art website brighten a winter darkened by coronavirus pandemic," 25 Dec. 2020 The votes are brought into the chamber in special mahogany boxes used for the occasion. — Tim Darnell, ajc, "What happens Wednesday, when Congress certifies Joe Biden’s win?," 4 Jan. 2021 The Grand Hyatt Tokyo, meanwhile, located in the city’s international business district, Roppongi, offers rooms with expansive mahogany desks. — New York Times, "The Hotels Reimagining Their Rooms as Stylish Work Spaces," 23 Dec. 2020 Details in the fine mahogany and walnut wood at the base level are simplistic. — The Salt Lake Tribune, "Memories linger a decade after the huge Provo Tabernacle fire," 21 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mahogany.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Mahogany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mahogany. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for mahogany

mahogany

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mahogany

: a strong reddish-brown wood that is used especially for making furniture and that comes from several tropical trees also : a tree that produces this wood

: a reddish-brown color

See the full definition for mahogany in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mahogany

noun

ma·hog·a·ny | \ mə-ˈhä-gə-nē

plural mahoganies