ˈaɪvərɪ n. (pl. -ies) 1 a
hard creamy-white
substance composing
the main
part of the tusks of an
elephant,
hippopotamus,
walrus,
and narwhal. 2 the
colour of
this. 3 (usu. in pl.) a an
article made of ivory. b sl.
anything made of or resembling ivory,
esp. a piano key or a
tooth. øfossil ivory ivory
from the tusks of a
mammoth. ivory
black black
pigment from calcined ivory or
bone. ivory-nut the
seed of a
corozo palm, Phytelephas
macrocarpa, used as a
source of
vegetable ivory
for carving:
also called corozo-nut. ivory
tower a
state of
seclusion or
separation from the
ordinary world and the
harsh realities of
life. vegetable ivory a hard
white material obtained from the
endosperm of the ivory-nut. øøivoried adj. [ME f. OF yvoire ult. f. L ebur eboris]