African mahogany

American  

noun

1. a large tree, Khaya ivorensis, of western Africa, having hard wood resembling true mahogany, widely used in cabinetmaking and boatbuilding.

2. any of several related or similar African hardwood trees.

3. the wood of any of these trees.

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African mahogany British  

noun

1. any of several African trees of the meliaceous genus Khaya, esp K. ivorensis, that have wood similar to that of true mahogany

2. the wood of any of these trees, used for furniture, etc

3. any of various other African woods that resemble true mahogany

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Etymology

Origin of African mahogany

First recorded in 1835–45

Compare meaning

How does african-mahogany compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• African mahogany vs. sapele

Example Sentences

Charles Gaines’s “The American Manifest: Moving Chains,” a 110-foot-long bargelike structure made of steel and African mahogany, with nine 1,600-pound chains churning overhead, arrived at New York’s Governors Island last October.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2023

The two-story house is dressed inside and out with African mahogany details, while Italian Pietra del Cardoso granite was used for the interior stonework.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2020

The legs of the stunning dining table are African mahogany, with midcentury chairs in rosewood.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2020

Kennedy was placed in a casket made of African mahogany that Ted Kennedy had selected, which was then covered with a maroon cloth.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2018

The third species, known as African mahogany, is brought from Sierra Leone.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 362, December 9, 1882 by Various