What does "ivory" mean?
The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
Ivory
/ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
- Grammar: ivory is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: off-white, alabaster, alabastrine, albacore.
- Useful contrasts: terracotta effect, black, colorless.
- Usage evidence: At his side, he carried an ivory and silver sword.
How to use "ivory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ivory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ivory" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ivory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ivory" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ivory" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "off-white" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ivory", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals. uncountable
"“Leave the ivory!” he cried. “Leave the ivory! Dead men have no use for ivory!” Some of the Manyuema started to lay down their loads, but this was altogether too much for the avaricious Arabs."
- 2 a shade of white the color of bleached bones wordnet
- 3 A creamy white color, the color of ivory. countable, uncountable
- 4 a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses wordnet
- 5 Something made from or resembling ivory. countable, uncountable
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The teeth. collective, countable, plural, singular, uncountable
"Ye forgot some o' yer ivories, didn't ye, on th' grass?"
- 7 The keys of a piano; or, the white keys, as opposed to the black keys (ebonies). collective, countable, plural, singular, uncountable
"to tickle the ivories"
- 8 A white person. countable, ethnic, slang, slur, uncountable
- 9 A die (object bearing numbers, thrown in games of chance). countable, informal, uncountable
"c. 1846, Alexandre Dumas (translated by William Barrow), The Three Musketeers The triumphant Englishman did not give himself the trouble even to shake the dice; and, so sure was he of winning, that he threw the ivory on the table without looking."
Adjective
- 1 Made of ivory. not-comparable
"Men that I knew around Wapatomac didn't wear high, shiny plug hats, nor yeller spring overcoats, nor carry canes with ivory heads as big as a catboat's anchor, as you might say."
- 2 Resembling or having the colour of ivory. not-comparable
"The walls and ceiling of this drawing-room in Montague Square are painted ivory."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Old French.
- 2 A male given name from English.
- 3 A female given name from English.
"Charlie Parrott wasn't fooled and told Linny to walk softly. The girl's name had been picked from a baby-name book which reflected a brief fashion of naming girls for expensive wedding gifts of an earlier time—Linen, Silver, Crystal, Ivory."
Example
"At his side, he carried an ivory and silver sword."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ivory"?
Common synonyms include: off-white, alabaster, alabastrine, albacore, albescent, bianca.
How do you use "ivory" in a sentence?
At his side, he carried an ivory and silver sword.
How do you pronounce "ivory"?
Pronounced /ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English yvory, ivorie, from Anglo-Norman ivurie, from Latin eboreus (“in or of ivory”) adjective of ebur (“ivory”) (genitive eboris), from Demotic Egyptian yb (“ivory, Elephantine”) (compare Coptic ⲓⲏⲃ (iēb, “Elephantine”)), from Egyptian ꜣbw (“elephant, ivory, Elephantine”), from Proto-Afroasiatic *leb-. Displaced native Old English elpendbān (literally “elephant bone”).
Etymology 2
The surname is habitational from Ivry in Normandy, and in some cases patronymic from a diminutive of Ivor. The modern given name is associated with ivory.