Word · Frequency #6491
ivory
象牙；象牙质
The hard white substance from the tusks of elephants and walruses, used for making things.
- 1.
The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
大象、海象等动物长牙的坚硬白色牙本质。
- 2.
a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses
一种坚硬光滑的象牙色牙本质,构成大部分象牙和海象的獠牙
- 3.
A creamy white color, the color of ivory.
象牙色,一种奶油白。
- 4.
a shade of white the color of bleached bones
一种白色,类似漂白骨头的颜色
- 5.
Something made from or resembling ivory.
由象牙制成或类似象牙的东西。
- 6.
The teeth.
牙齿。
- 7.
The keys of a piano; or, the white keys, as opposed to the black keys (ebonies).
钢琴键；尤指白键,相对于黑键。
象牙色；乳白色；钢琴键；(钢琴的)白键；象牙制品；似象牙之物；牙齿；大象、海象等动物长牙的坚硬白色牙本质。
In use
The piano keys are made of ivory.
She wore an elegant dress in a shade of ivory.
The antique shop sells carved ivories from Asia.
ivory (uncountable material)
作材料名词时不可数，不与不定冠词连用。
The jewelry is carved from pure ivory.
这件首饰是用纯象牙雕刻的。
ivories (plural, informal, piano keys)
复数形式常指钢琴键，用于习语"tickle the ivories"。
The pianist's fingers danced across the ivories.
钢琴家的手指在琴键上飞舞。
ivory tower (idiom, metaphorical retreat)
比喻脱离现实、专心于抽象思考的环境。
Connections
Collocations
- ivory tower
- 象牙塔（比喻脱离现实生活或实际困难的境地）
- Academics are often accused of living in an ivory tower, disconnected from the real world.学者们常被指责生活在象牙塔中，与现实世界脱节。
- ivory carving
- 象牙雕刻
- The museum has a beautiful collection of ancient ivory carvings.博物馆收藏了一批精美的古代象牙雕刻。
- ivory trade
- 象牙贸易
- The international ivory trade has been banned to protect elephants.为了保护大象，国际象牙贸易已被禁止。
- ivory white
- 象牙白（一种带淡黄的白色）
- She chose an ivory white dress for her wedding.她为婚礼选了一件象牙白的裙子。
Idioms & figurative uses
- ivory tower
- 象牙塔Academics are often accused of living in an ivory tower, detached from the real world.
Learner notes
Memory Tip
象牙（ivory）洁白光滑，想象大象的獠牙，表面如奶油般细腻。
Context & Register
中性；常用于描述材料（如象牙雕刻）或颜色（象牙白），在艺术、文物、时尚或设计领域中出现
Grammar Note
通常作为不可数名词，但复数形式指代多个象牙制品
Pronunciation & Spelling
These words share the '-ory' spelling ending but have different stressed vowels, so they do not rhyme with 'ivory' (/aɪvɝi/). 'Ivory' ends with /ɝi/, while these end with /ri/ or /əri/.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 2，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from DICTIONARY_API_DEV, ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.