Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A place or attitude of retreat, especially preoccupation with lofty, remote, or intellectual considerations rather than practical everyday life.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun idiomatic A
sheltered , overly-academic existence orperspective , implying a disconnection or lack of awareness ofreality orpractical considerations. - adjective Seperated from
reality andpractical matters; overly academic.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a state of mind that is discussed as if it were a place
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Translation of French tour d'ivoire : tour, tower + de, of + ivoire, ivory.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
1911, calque of French figurative use, based on literal biblical phrase.
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Examples
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whichbe commented on the word ivory tower
How many elephant (Republican) tusks does it take to make one Ivory Tower (elitist)?
October 10, 2008