ruel-bone
English
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Middle English rewell bon, ruel bon (“walrus ivory”), from Old French roal, rohal (“walrus ivory”), ultimately from Old Norse hrosshvalr (“walrus”).
Noun
ruel-bone (plural ruel-bones)
- (archaic, literary) A piece of ivory, generally from a marine mammal.
- 1962, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Sea-Bell
- White it glimmered, and the sea shimmered
- with star-mirrors in a silver net;
- cliffs of stone pale as ruel-bone
- in the moon-foam were gleaming wet.
- 1962, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Sea-Bell