Ivory-Black
/ˌaɪ.vər.i ˈblæk/noun
A deep black pigment or color, especially one historically made from bone or ivory char.
Did you know?Ivory-black is historically a kind of lampblack-like pigment produced by charring bone or ivory, a reminder that in the old world, beauty and art were often made from the remains of the dead.
Etymological Timeline
18th Century
English
ivory-black
“A black pigment made by calcining ivory or bone”
Early Modern English
English
ivory
“The hard white material from elephant tusks”
Middle English
English
ivorie
“Ivory, tusk material”
Old French
Old French
ivurie
“Ivory”
Latin
Latin
ebur
“Ivory”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁ébʰōr
“Likely a term for ivory or tusk material”