ivory
/'aivəri/
Definition
- Noun:
- A hard, white material: A dense, smooth, creamy-white substance that forms the tusks of elephants, walruses, and some other animals. It is a type of dentine.
- A pale yellowish-white color: A shade of white that resembles the color of ivory, often described as off-white or cream.
- (Plural: ivories) Objects made of ivory: Items such as carvings, ornaments, or piano keys crafted from this material.
- (Slang, plural: ivories) Teeth or piano keys: Informal terms for teeth or the white keys of a piano.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Material):
- The ancient sculpture was carved from elephant ivory.
- International trade in ivory is banned to protect elephants.
- Noun (Color):
- She painted the walls in a soft ivory.
- The wedding dress was a beautiful shade of ivory.
- Noun (Objects):
- The museum displayed exquisite Chinese ivories.
- Noun (Slang):
- He flashed his ivories in a wide smile. (teeth)
- The jazz pianist tickled the ivories all night. (piano keys)
Advanced Usage
- "Ivory tower": A state of privileged seclusion or separation from the practicalities and problems of everyday life, often used to describe academia or intellectuals.
- Critics accused the professor of living in an ivory tower, disconnected from real-world issues.
Variants and Related Words
- Ivory-colored (adj): Having the pale yellowish-white color of ivory.
- She wore an ivory-colored gown.
- Ivory-towered (adj): Characteristic of or pertaining to an ivory tower.
- He rejected the ivory-towered theories in favor of practical solutions.
Synonyms
- Tusk: (Specifically for the elongated tooth, not the material itself)
- Off-white, Cream, Ecru: (For the color)
- Dentine: (The biological tissue; technical)
Related Phrases
- Black ivory: (Historical) A term once used for enslaved people.
- To show one's ivories: (Idiomatic/Slang) To smile broadly, showing one's teeth.
Noun
-
a shade of white the color of bleached bones
-
a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses
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