ebony
UK[ˈebəni]US[ˈebəni]
n
a very hard, heavy, dark black wood from a tropical tree.
n
a very dark black color.
adj
having a very dark black color.
Etymology
the word 'ebony' entered english in the late 16th century via latin 'ebenus' and greek 'ebenos', which themselves were borrowed from a foreign source. this source is likely the ancient egyptian 'hbny', which referred to the wood and the tree. the term traveled through semitic languages like phoenician and hebrew before reaching the classical languages, illustrating the high value and exotic nature of the material in ancient trade. the core meaning has remained remarkably consistent, always denoting the prized, dense black wood, with the color sense developing naturally from the wood's most distinctive characteristic.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword. it does not contain separable morphemes within modern english spelling.
Examples
the piano keys were made of ivory and ebony.
her hair was a lustrous ebony, shining under the lights.
he admired the ebony statue for its deep, flawless finish.