EBONY
What does "EBONY" mean?
A dense, hard black wood, or the deep black color of that wood.
Meanings
- The very hard, dark heartwood of certain tropical trees, prized for fine carving and instruments. The piano's black keys were once carved from solid ebony.
- Of a deep, pure black color. Her ebony hair caught the lamplight like polished wood.
Did you know?
- Ebony is one of the few woods dense enough to sink in water - its heartwood is heavier than the liquid it would normally float on.
Word origin
From Greek 'ebenos' via Latin 'ebenus' and Old French 'eban'; the Greek itself likely borrowed from Egyptian 'hbny', the ancient name for the wood.
Remember it
EBONY sounds like 'ebon' + 'y'; think of an EBON (black) tree so heavy it ends in a sinking why.
A little poem
Cut it and the grain pours dark,
a wood that will not float-
as if the night had learned to sink.
tercet
Wordplay
- Why doesn't ebony win swimming races? It always goes straight to the bottom of its class.
What it teaches
The deepest black is not empty; it is matter pressed so tight even water lets it pass.
Quick facts
What does EBONY mean?
A dense, hard black wood, or the deep black color of that wood.
Is EBONY a valid word?
Yes — EBONY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is EBONY?
EBONY has 5 letters and 3 syllables.
Where does EBONY come from?
From Greek 'ebenos' via Latin 'ebenus' and Old French 'eban'; the Greek itself likely borrowed from Egyptian 'hbny', the ancient name for the wood.
What can EBONY teach us?
The deepest black is not empty; it is matter pressed so tight even water lets it pass.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.