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Definition of "ivory tower" []

  • A place or attitude of retreat, especially preoccupation with lofty, remote, or intellectual considerations rather than practical everyday life. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "ivory tower" in a sentence
  • "Langer isn’t just an ivory tower academic-he holds more than five hundred patents, and his research has led to everything from the development of the nicotine patch to brain cancer treatments."
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