mahogany

mahogany
/meuh hog"euh nee/, n., pl. mahoganies, adj.
1. any of several tropical American trees of the genus Swietenia, esp. S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla, yielding hard, reddish-brown wood used for making furniture.
2. the wood itself.
3. any of various similar trees or their wood. Cf. African mahogany, Philippine mahogany.
4. a reddish-brown color.
adj.
5. pertaining to or made of mahogany.
6. of the color mahogany.
[1665-75; perh. < some non-Carib language of the West Indies]

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▪ wood
      any of several tropical hardwood timber trees, especially certain species in the family Meliaceae. One such is Swietenia mahagoni, from tropical America. It is a tall evergreen tree with hard wood that turns reddish brown at maturity. The leaflets of each large leaf are arranged like a feather, but there is no terminal leaflet. The small white flowers are borne in clusters, and the fruit is a five-parted woody capsule that contains squarish, winged seeds. Most commercial mahogany now comes from other genera in the family, such as the African Khaya and Entandophragma. Lauan, or Philippine, mahogany (Shorea species), of the family Dipterocarpaceae, is popular for furniture making and panelling.

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  • Mahogany — Ma*hog a*ny, Mahogany tree Ma*hog a*ny tree , n. [From the South American name.] 1. (Bot.) A large tree of the genus {Swietenia} ({Swietenia Mahogoni}), found in tropical America. [1913 Webster] Note: Several other trees, with wood more or less… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mahogany — (englisch für Mahagoni) steht für: Mahogany (Film), ein Film aus dem Jahre 1975, produziert von Berry Gordy Mahogany ist der Name folgender Personen: Kevin Mahogany (* 1958), US amerikanischer Jazz Sänger …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • mahogany — [mə häg′ə nē, məhôg′ə nē] n. pl. mahoganies [earlier mohogeney < ?] 1. a) any of a genus (Swietenia) of tropical trees of the mahogany family, with dark, heavy heartwood b) the wood of any of these trees; esp., the hard, reddish brown to… …   English World dictionary

  • mahogany — (n.) 1670s, from Sp. mahogani, of unknown origin; perhaps from the tree s native name in Maya (Honduras). As an adjective from 1730 …   Etymology dictionary

  • mahogany — ► NOUN 1) hard reddish brown wood from a tropical tree, used for furniture. 2) a rich reddish brown colour. ORIGIN of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • Mahogany — This article is about the timber. For other uses, see Mahogany (disambiguation). Honduras mahogany The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood… …   Wikipedia

  • mahogany — noun (plural nies) Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1660 1. the wood of any of various chiefly tropical trees (family Meliaceae, the mahogany family): a. (1) the durable yellowish brown to reddish brown usually moderately hard and heavy wood of a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Mahogany — amerikinė svietenija statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Melijinių šeimos medieninis nuodingas augalas (Swietenia mahagoni), paplitęs Floridoje ir Pietų Amerikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Swietenia mahagoni angl. Cuban mahogany; Mahogany; Spanish… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • mahogany — /məˈhɒgəni / (say muh hoguhnee) noun (plural mahoganies) 1. any of certain tropical American trees, especially Swietenia mahagoni and S. macrophylla, yielding a hard, reddish brown wood highly esteemed for making fine furniture, etc. 2. the wood… …  

  • mahogany — UK [məˈhɒɡənɪ] / US [məˈhɑɡənɪ] noun Word forms mahogany : singular mahogany plural mahoganies 1) a) [uncountable] a hard brown red wood, used for making furniture b) [countable] the tree that produces this wood 2) [uncountable] a brown red… …   English dictionary

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