What is Ebony (tree)?
[[File:Ébano.jpg|alt=Rough ebony|right|frameless]] '''Ebony''' is a [[Density|dense]] darker than brown [[hardwood]], coming from some species in the [[genus]] ''[[Diospyros]]'', which has [[Persimmon|persimmons]] as well. Not like most trees, ebony is dense enough to slowly fall in water. It is softly [[wikt:textured|textured]] and has a [[Mirror|mirror finish]] when polished, making it great as an [[Ornamental plant|ornamental wood]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gaboon Ebony|url=http://www.wood-database.com/gaboon-ebony/|access-date=2016-12-11|website=www.wood-database.com/ Lumber Identification (Hardwoods)|publisher=The Wood Database}}</ref> The word ''ebony'' comes from the [[Egyptian language|Ancient Egyptian]] ''{{transl|egy|hbny}}'', through the [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|ἔβενος}} (''{{transl|grc|ébenos}}''), as well as [[Latin]] and [[Middle English]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Etymological Dictionary of Greek|last1=Beekes|first1=R. S. P.|last2=van Beek|first2=Lucien|publisher=Brill|year=2009|isbn=978-90-04-17418-4|location=Leiden|pages=368}}</ref> == Species == The ebony tree has many species ([[wikt:type|types]]), having ''[[Diospyros ebenum]]'' (Ceylon ebony), that lives in southern [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]]; ''[[Diospyros crassiflora|D. crassiflora]]'' (Gabon ebony), usually in western [[Africa]]; ''[[Diospyros humilis|D. humilis]]'' (Queensland ebony), [[Native (ecology)|native]] to [[Queensland]], the [[Northern Territory]], [[New Guinea]] and [[Timor]]; and ''[[Diospyros celebica|D. celebica]]'' ([[Sulawesi]] ebony), native to [[Indonesia]] and prized for its nice, multi-colored wood grain. [[Dutch Mauritius|Mauritius]] ebony, ''[[Diospyros tessellaria|D. tessellaria]]'', was largely overused by the [[Evolution of the Dutch Empire|Dutch]] in the 17th century. Some species in the genus have an ebony with similar looks, but striped rather than the even black of ''D. ebenum''. == Uses == [[File:EbonyLabelOfDen-BritishMuseum-August19-08.jpg|left|thumb|200x200px|Ebony label depicting the pharaoh [[Den (phar