Ebony is a dense black
hardwood, most commonly yielded by several different species in the genus
Diospyros. Ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely-textured and has a very smooth finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood. The word
ebony derives from the
Ancient Egyptian hbny, via the
Ancient Greek (
ébenos), by way of
Latin and
Middle English.