ivoire
/i.vwaʁ/masculine
The English word ivory is translated into French as ivoire.
ivoire is a masculine noun referring to the material. It is most commonly used in prepositional phrases to describe the substance an object is made of.
Meaning: material (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to describe an object as being made of ivory, use the preposition en before the noun, creating the phrase en ivoire.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /i.vwaʁ/ and consists of two syllables.
Did you know?
- While ivoire is the material, French uses the word défense to describe the physical tusk of an elephant, which literally translates to 'defense'.
- In French literature, the term ivoire is frequently used as a poetic metaphor for skin that is pale and smooth, a usage less frequent in modern English.
- The French word ivoire comes from the Latin word ebur, which is the root for the same material in many Romance languages.
Examples in context
- Les défenses d'éléphant sont en ivoire.Elephant tusks are made out of ivory.This sentence is useful for describing what elephant tusks are made of using ivoire.Tatoeba #8862002 by lbdx, translation #2982275 by Hybrid
- Les éléphants furent tués pour leur ivoire.Elephants were killed for their ivory.This sentence illustrates the use of ivoire regarding why elephants are killed.Tatoeba #4235452 by sacredceltic, translation #4232517 by Hybrid
- La Côte d'Ivoire est le premier producteur mondial de cacao.Ivory Coast is the world's biggest cocoa producer.This sentence shows the word ivoire as part of the name of the country Ivory Coast.Tatoeba #10560495 by lbdx, translation #1801643 by Spamster
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are in an antique shop.
- LucasCette petite boîte est en ivoire ?Is this little box made of ivory?
- EmmaOui, elle est en ivoire de très bonne qualité.Yes, it is high-quality ivory.
- LucasElle est magnifique, mais très chère.It is beautiful, but very expensive.
- EmmaC'est vrai, l'ivoire coûte très cher.That's true, ivory is very costly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ivory” translations and entries ivoire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ivoire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
