Ivories Meaning in English
word · lemma: ivory
ˈaɪvɝi/, /ˈaɪvɹi
EYE-vuh-ree
ˈaɪvəɹˌiz
EYE-vuh-reez
Definition
'Ivories' most often means the white piano keys, but can also refer to objects made from ivory, especially in slang.
Usage & Nuances
Mostly informal; 'tickle the ivories' means 'play the piano'. Rarely used for actual ivory objects now, as ivory trade is controversial. Sometimes used to mean teeth in old-fashioned or humorous speech.
Spanish: teclas (de piano) - marfilesPortuguese (BR): teclas (de piano) - marfinsPortuguese (PT): teclas (de piano) - marfinsChinese (Simplified): 钢琴键 - 象牙制品Chinese (Traditional): 鋼琴鍵 - 象牙製品Hindi: पियानो की चाबियाँ - हाथी दांत की वस्तुएँArabic: مفاتيح البيانو - تحف العاجBengali: পিয়ানোর সাদা কী - হাতির দাঁতের সামগ্রীRussian: клавиши (рояля) - изделия из слоновой костиJapanese: ピアノの白鍵 - 象牙製品Vietnamese: phím trắng đàn piano - đồ làm từ ngà voiKorean: 피아노 흰 건반 - 상아 제품Turkish: piyanonun beyaz tuşları - fildişi eşyalarUrdu: پیانو کی سفید چابیاں - ہاتھی دانت سے بنی اشیاءIndonesian: tuts putih piano - barang dari gading
Example Sentences
She learned to play the ivories as a child.
basic
The old piano's ivories were chipped and yellow.
basic
He bought a statue made of ivories.
basic
He can really tickle the ivories when he wants to impress.
natural
Those old ivories don’t shine like they used to.
natural
He's all smiles after getting his ivories fixed at the dentist.
natural