mahogany

1.名詞B1

釋義

the hard, reddish-brown timber from a tropical tree, valued for making fine furniture, cabinets, and musical instruments.

例句

Theo saved for two years to buy a mahogany desk for his study.

collocation: mahogany desk / mahogany table

The dining table was carved from a single piece of mahogany.

passive: be carved from + material

同義詞

teak
a lighter, more golden-brown hardwood, often used for outdoor furniture
walnut
a darker brown wood with purple-grey tones, popular for gunstocks and veneers
oak
a paler, harder wood with a prominent grain, common in flooring and heavy furniture

用法筆記

Always uncountable when referring to the material — you cannot say 'a mahogany' to mean a single piece of the wood. Use 'a piece of mahogany' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The table is made of a mahogany.

✅The table is made of mahogany.

💡mahogany as a material is uncountable and takes no article.

2.名詞B1

釋義

a deep reddish-brown colour, named after the wood of the same name.

例句

The sunset deepened into a rich mahogany that lit up the whole sky.

collocation: rich mahogany

Santiago picked out a sofa in a warm mahogany to match the wooden floor.

同義詞

chestnut
a redder, lighter brown typically used for hair colours
auburn
a red-brown used almost exclusively for describing hair
russet
a softer reddish-brown, often used in literary descriptions of autumn

用法筆記

Often used with adjectives like 'deep', 'rich', or 'warm' to describe the exact shade. Compare with sense 1 (the wood) — this sense names only the colour, not the material.

3.名詞B2

釋義

a tall evergreen tree native to tropical regions, whose wood is prized for furniture-making.

例句

Yuki stood under a massive mahogany whose branches spread wide across the courtyard.

countable: a mahogany (the tree)

The mahogany can grow over forty metres tall in the rainforests of Central America.

同義詞

teak
a different tropical tree whose wood is lighter and more golden
ebony
a tropical tree producing very dark, almost black wood

用法筆記

Countable in this sense — you can say 'a mahogany' or 'several mahoganies' when referring to the trees. Distinguish from sense 1 (uncountable, the material).

常見錯誤

❌We sat under the shade of mahogany.

✅We sat under the shade of a mahogany.

💡when referring to the tree itself, use an article.

mahogany — noun

1. the hard, reddish-brown timber from a tropical tree, valued for making fine furn

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. a deep reddish-brown colour, named after the wood of the same name.

用法筆記

3. a tall evergreen tree native to tropical regions, whose wood is prized for furni

用法筆記

常見錯誤

mahogany — adjective

1. having a deep reddish-brown colour, like the wood of the mahogany tree.