| 释义 |
ivo·ry
I. \ˈīv(ə)rē, -ri\ noun
(-es ; see senses 3, 4)
Etymology: Middle English ivor, ivorie, from Old French ivore, ivoire, ivurie, from Latin eboreus, adjective, of ivory, from ebor-, ebur ivory, of Hamitic origin; akin to Egyptian ˒ʾbw elephant, ivory
1.
a.
(1) : the hard creamy-white opaque fine-grained elastic modified dentine that composes the tusks of an elephant
(2) : the dentine of the tusks of large mammals (as narwhals, walruses) other than elephants
(3) : the dentine of any tooth
b. : a tusk of an elephant or other large mammal
2.
a. : creamy whiteness
b. or ivory yellow or ivory white
(1) : a variable color averaging a pale yellow that is darker, slightly redder, and very slightly less strong than cream, paler and slightly redder than straw, and paler and slightly greener than leghorn
(2) of textiles : a yellowish white that is stronger and slightly redder than milk white and redder and slightly less strong than average shell tint
3. plural ivories or ivory slang : tooth
< fell down and broke one of his ivories >
< snarled and showed his ivory >
4. plural ivories or ivory : something made of ivory or of a substance resembling or suggestive of ivory: as
a. slang : die 1a
< rattling the ivory >
< picked up one of the ivories >
b. : a carving in ivory
< the museum has a remarkable collection of ivories >
c. slang : a pool or billiard ball
< watched them shoot the ivories around >
d. slang : one of the keys of a piano keyboard or of the keyboard of a similar instrument (as an accordion)
< tickling the ivories >
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English iver, from iver, ivor, n.
1.
a. : made of ivory : consisting of ivory
< an ivory figurine >
< a tiny ivory box >
b. : resembling or suggestive of ivory : having a finish suggestive of the surface of ivory
< a fine-grained wood with a highly polished ivory surface >
< ivory porcelain >
especially : having a creamy whiteness and smoothness suggestive of ivory
< admired her ivory arms and shoulders >
c. : of the color ivory
2. : ivory-towered
< little men in ivory offices, who … fear to carry out their instructions in a liberal and imaginative way — Edward Sackville-West >
III.
dialect
variant of ivy |