ebony

thumb|Cross-section of an unprocessed piece of ebony wood Ebony is a dense black–brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus Diospyros, which also includes the persimmon. A few Diospyros species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is finely textured and has a mirror finish when polished, making it valuable as an ornamental wood. It is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world.

== Etymology == The word ebony comes from the Ancient Egyptian ', through the Ancient Greek ('), into Latin () and Middle English.