ebony

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
2. (countable, usually)A tree that yields such wood.

   ““You live up the road past the ebony tree, right?” he asked, looking past me.”

3. (countable, uncountable, usually)A deep, dark black colour.

   “Near-synonyms: onyx, raven”

4. (uncountable, usually)Dark skin colour.

   “At dawn the hunters were off. There were fifty sleek, black warriors, and in their midst, lithe and active as a young forest god, strode Tarzan of the Apes, his brown skin contrasting oddly with the ebony of his companions. Except for color he was one of them.”

5. (countable, usually)A black key on a piano or other keyboard instrument (as opposed to ivory).

   “Ebony and ivory / Live together in perfect harmony / Side by side on my piano keyboard / Oh lord, why don't we?”

   “Tony had gone into the storage room and gotten two more standing lamps, one placed near the ebonies and ivories.”

adj

1. Made of ebony wood.
2. A deep, dark black colour.

   “Near-synonyms: onyx, raven”

   “Seats are trimmed in a grey and blue moquette and tables are finished with grey Vyanide tops, gilt edging and ebony legs.”

3. Dark-skinned; black; especially in reference to African-Americans.

   “He called the ebony mistress of the establishment to him, and speaking to her kindly and winningly, as any dutiful husband should, told her to make the change, which she did.”

   “No attempt was made in her new home to discontinue or even to conceal the presence of an ebony mistress and a thriving family of little mulattoes...”

   “Want to watch my gorgeous ebony friend, Almond Joy, naked and online 24/7? She recently ended a long-term relationship and is now fully enjoying being a 25 year-old single gal in Beverly Hills.”

name

1. A female given name from English.
2. (derogatory)A stereotypical African-American woman.