Ebony is a dense, dark wood that comes from several species of tropical trees, prized for its deep black color and smooth texture. Craftspeople use ebony to make piano keys, chess pieces, violin fingerboards, and fine furniture. The wood is so heavy it sinks in water, and it polishes to a beautiful shine.

Because ebony trees grow slowly and the wood is so valuable, they've been overharvested in many parts of Africa and Asia where they naturally grow. A single ebony tree might take 200 years to mature. This rarity makes authentic ebony expensive and sometimes difficult to obtain legally.

The word also describes anything with the deep black color of ebony wood. A poet might describe a raven's feathers as ebony, or someone might compliment a classic black piano for its ebony finish.

Interestingly, only about half of each ebony tree produces the prized black wood. The outer layers are often streaked with brown or gray, which is why the darkest ebony is particularly treasured by instrument makers and artists.