mahogany

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 Shumway and Cate found the perfect canvas for Gonzalez: an 1896 building whose centerpiece is a large mahogany bar built in 1906. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "California Gold in San Rafael might be Marin’s most ambitious cocktail bar ever," 26 Nov. 2019 Ever since the Kayapo had come into regular contact with the outside world, in the nineteen-fifties, whites had been trying to extract resources from their forests, beginning with animal skins and expanding to mahogany and gold. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "Blood Gold in the Brazilian Rain Forest," 4 Nov. 2019 Clad in stone, the main house boasts an eye-catching design palette of mahogany, redwood and jade. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, "‘Avengers: Endgame’ composer Alan Silvestri seeks $13.95 million for coastal Carmel compound," 24 Sep. 2019 But there are challenges to growing a live oak or mahogany in urban areas. — Kimberly Miller, sun-sentinel.com, "Oaks instead of palm trees? Florida’s iconic palms don’t cut it with climate change," 14 Nov. 2019 In the eighties, some chiefs made easy profits by granting logging and mining rights to outsiders, but after a decade the mahogany was depleted and the price of gold had dropped. — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, "Blood Gold in the Brazilian Rain Forest," 4 Nov. 2019 The library is mahogany paneled with a fireplace, the gourmet kitchen has a walk-in pantry and a spacious mud room is reached by a second front entrance. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, "Here’s a look at the 10 most expensive homes that sold in Connecticut last month," 31 Oct. 2019 Several family heirlooms have also made their way into the apartment, including a Victorian mahogany dining table. — Ian Phillips, ELLE Decor, "Tour This Fashion Designer’s Dark and Atmospheric Milan Apartment," 23 Aug. 2019 In my own dining room, a traditional English mahogany dining table needed some contrast. — Elizabeth Pash, House Beautiful, "What to Look for When Shopping for Quality Scandinavian Furniture," 9 Aug. 2019

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

5 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Mahogany.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mahogany. Accessed 13 December 2019.

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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