Etymology tree
Egyptian U13:n-Z4:M3 (hbnj)bor.
Ancient Greek ἕβενος (hébenos)bor.
Latin hebenus
Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
Proto-Italic *-ijos
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin ebeniusder.
Middle English ebenif
English heben, hebeny
English ebony
From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3
Meanings
Made of ebony wood.
A deep, dark black colour.
Seats are trimmed in a grey and blue moquette and tables are finished with grey Vyanide tops, gilt edging and ebony legs. 1961 February, “New "Mini-Buffets" from Wolverton”, in Trains Illustrated, page 79:
Near-synonyms: onyx, raven
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. 1864, George Adams Fisher, The Yankee conscript: or, Eighteen months in Dixie:
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. 2004, Alyssa, “Ebony Girls Need Attention”, in alt.sex.escorts (Usenet):
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... 1931, Catherine MacFarlane Carswell, The life of Robert Burns:
el κατάμαυρος (deep, dark black colour) · ru чёрный (deep, dark black colour) · el εβένινος (made of ebony wood) · sw -a rangi ya abunusi (deep, dark black colour) · es como de/el/del ébano/abenuz (deep, dark black colour) · sw -a abunusi (made of ebony wood) · hy եբենոսե (made of ebony wood) · hy եբենոսյա (made of ebony wood) · fi eebenpuinen (made of ebony wood) · mk абоносов (made of ebony wood) · de aus Ebenholz (made of ebony wood) · hi आबनूसी (made of ebony wood) · id cewek hitam (deep, dark black colour) · io ebenea (deep, dark black colour) · la hebeneus (made of ebony wood) · tr abanoz (deep, dark black colour) · pl hebanowy (deep, dark black colour) · pt ebâneo (deep, dark black colour) · io ebena (made of ebony wood) · pt ébano (deep, dark black colour) · de Ebenholz- (made of ebony wood) · tr abanoz (made of ebony wood) · pt de ébano (made of ebony wood) · sv ebenholtssvart (deep, dark black colour) · uk ебе́новий (made of ebony wood) · bg абаносов (made of ebony wood) · eo ebona (deep, dark black colour) · hy եբենոս (made of ebony wood) · hi आबनूसी (deep, dark black colour) · es de ébano/abenuz (made of ebony wood) · la ebeneus (made of ebony wood) · pl hebanowy (made of ebony wood) · nl ebbenhouten (made of ebony wood) · es de color ébano/abenuz (deep, dark black colour) · ru эбе́новый (made of ebony wood) · ro negru-abanos (deep, dark black colour) · de ebenholzfarben (deep, dark black colour) · fr d'ébène (made of ebony wood)
Etymology tree
Egyptian U13:n-Z4:M3 (hbnj)bor.
Ancient Greek ἕβενος (hébenos)bor.
Latin hebenus
Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
Proto-Italic *-ijos
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin ebeniusder.
Middle English ebenif
English heben, hebeny
English ebony
From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3
Meanings
(uncountable, usually) A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
(countable, usually) A tree that yields such wood.
“You live up the road past the ebony tree, right?” he asked, looking past me. 2018, Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death, HarperVoyager, page 51:
(countable, uncountable, usually) A deep, dark black colour.
Near-synonyms: onyx, raven
(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. 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 130:
(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? 1982, Paul McCartney, “Ebony and Ivory”, in Tug of War, performed by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder:
Tony had gone into the storage room and gotten two more standing lamps, one placed near the ebonies and ivories. 2016, Peter Wendt, Nikki Magee, Lulu.com, page 52: