Ivory

Ivory
Ivory I"vo*ry ([imac]"v[-o]*r[y^]), n.; pl. {Ivories}. [OE. ivori, F. ivoire, fr. L. eboreus made of ivory, fr. ebur, eboris, ivory, cf. Skr. ibha elephant. Cf. {Eburnean}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The hard, white, opaque, fine-grained substance constituting the tusks of the elephant. It is a variety of dentine, characterized by the minuteness and close arrangement of the tubes, as also by their double flexure. It is used in manufacturing articles of ornament or utility. [1913 Webster]

Note: Ivory is the name commercially given not only to the substance constituting the tusks of the elephant, but also to that of the tusks of the hippopotamus and walrus, the hornlike tusk of the narwhal, etc. [1913 Webster]

2. The tusks themselves of the elephant, etc. [1913 Webster]

3. Any carving executed in ivory. --Mollett. [1913 Webster]

4. pl. Teeth; as, to show one's ivories. [Slang] [1913 Webster]

{Ivory black}. See under {Black}, n.

{Ivory gull} (Zo["o]l.), a white Arctic gull ({Larus eburneus}).

{Ivory nut} (Bot.), the nut of a species of palm, the {Phytephas macroarpa}, often as large as a hen's egg. When young the seed contains a fluid, which gradually hardness into a whitish, close-grained, albuminous substance, resembling the finest ivory in texture and color, whence it is called {vegetable ivory}. It is wrought into various articles, as buttons, chessmen, etc. The palm is found in New Grenada. A smaller kind is the fruit of the {Phytephas microarpa}. The nuts are known in commerce as Corosso nuts.

{Ivory palm} (Bot.), the palm tree which produces ivory nuts.

{Ivory shell} (Zo["o]l.), any species of {Eburna}, a genus of marine gastropod shells, having a smooth surface, usually white with red or brown spots.

{Vegetable ivory}, the meat of the ivory nut. See {Ivory nut} (above). [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Ivory — is formed from dentine and constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal.The word ivory was traditionally applied to the tusks of elephants; the word is ultimately from… …   Wikipedia

  • Ivory — • The tusks of the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, and other animals: a tough and elastic substance, of a creamy white, taking a high and lasting polish, largely employed in the arts since pre historic times, and used extensively in making or… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • ivory — [ī′vər ē, ī′vrē] n. pl. ivories [ME < OFr yvoire < L eboreus (adj.) < ebur (gen. eboris), ivory < Egypt Ȝ bw, elephant, ivory] 1. the hard, white substance, a form of dentin, that makes up the tusks of elephants, walruses, etc. 2. a)… …   English World dictionary

  • Ivory — ist der Name von Personen und Ortschaften: James Ivory (* 1928), US amerikanischer Filmregisseur. James Ivory (Mathematiker) (* 17. Februar 1765; † 21. September 1842), schottischer Mathematiker. Ivory (Jura), Gemeinde im französischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ivory — (en inglés: Marfil) puede referirse a: Ivory, comuna de Jura, Francia; Ivory (2006), canción de la banda japonesa Dragon Ash; Ivory Tower (1986), canción de Van Morrison; Ivory (1961 ), nombre artístico de la luchadora Lisa Moretti (:w:en); …   Wikipedia Español

  • ivory — mid 13c. (late 12c. as a surname), Anglo Fr. ivorie, from O.N.Fr. ivurie (12c.), from L. eboreus of ivory, from ebur (gen. eboris) ivory, probably via Phoenician from an African source (Cf. Egyptian ab elephant, Coptic ebu ivory ). Replaced O.E.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • ivory — ► NOUN (pl. ivories) 1) a hard creamy white substance composing the main part of the tusks of an elephant, walrus, or narwhal. 2) the creamy white colour of ivory. 3) (the ivories) informal the keys of a piano. 4) (ivories) informal a person s… …   English terms dictionary

  • Ivory —   [ aɪvərɪ], James, amerikanischer Filmregisseur, * Berkeley (Calif.) 7. 6. 1928; arbeitete ab 1963 in Indien, nach 1970 wieder in den USA; wurde bekannt mit Gesellschaftsdramen, die meist auf literarische Vorlagen beruhen.   Filme: Die Europäer… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • ivory — ivorylike, adj. /uy veuh ree, uy vree/, n., pl. ivories, adj. n. 1. the hard white substance, a variety of dentin, composing the main part of the tusks of the elephant, walrus, etc. 2. this substance when taken from a dead animal and used to make …   Universalium

  • ivory — n. (pl. ies) 1 a hard creamy white substance composing the main part of the tusks of an elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, and narwhal. 2 the colour of this. 3 (usu. in pl.) a an article made of ivory. b sl. anything made of or resembling ivory, esp …   Useful english dictionary

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