vegetable ivory

noun

1
: the hard white opaque endosperm of the ivory nut that takes a high polish and is used as a substitute for ivory
2

Examples of vegetable ivory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The pieces are not made from any kind of ivory — not elephant ivory, not walrus ivory, not whale ivory, not even vegetable ivory. Tribune News Service, al, 1 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vegetable ivory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vegetable ivory was in 1842

Dictionary Entries Near vegetable ivory

Cite this Entry

“Vegetable ivory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vegetable%20ivory. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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