This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
amber
[ am-ber ]
/ ˈæm bər /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a pale yellow, sometimes reddish or brownish, fossil resin of vegetable origin, translucent, brittle, and capable of gaining a negative electrical charge by friction and of being an excellent insulator: used for making jewelry and other ornamental articles.
the yellowish-brown color of resin.
adjective
of the color of amber; yellowish-brown: amber fields of grain.
made of amber: amber earrings.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of amber
1350–1400; Middle English ambre<Old French <Medieval Latin ambra<Arabic ʿanbar ambergris; confusion of the dissimilar substances perhaps because both were rare, valuable, and found on seacoasts
OTHER WORDS FROM amber
am·ber·like, am·ber·y, am·ber·ous, adjectiveWords nearby amber
ambassadress, ambatch, Ambato, Ambedkar, ambeer, amber, Amber Alert, amberfish, amber fluid, amber gambler, ambergris
Other definitions for amber (2 of 2)
Amber
[ am-ber ]
/ ˈæm bər /
noun
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use amber in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for amber
amber
/ (ˈæmbə) /
noun
- a yellow or yellowish-brown hard translucent fossil resin derived from extinct coniferous trees that occurs in Tertiary deposits and often contains trapped insects. It is used for jewellery, ornaments, etc
- (as modifier)an amber necklace Related adjective: succinic
fly in amber a strange relic or reminder of the past
- a medium to dark brownish-yellow colour, often somewhat orange, similar to that of the resin
- (as adjective)an amber dress
an amber traffic light used as a warning between red and green
Word Origin for amber
C14: from Medieval Latin ambar, from Arabic `anbar ambergris
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for amber
amber
[ ăm′bər ]
A hard, translucent, brownish-yellow substance that is the fossilized resin of ancient trees. It often contains fossil insects.
A Closer Look
Certain trees, especially conifers, produce a sticky substance called resin to protect themselves against insects. Normally, it decays in oxygen through the action of bacteria. However, if the resin happens to fall into wet mud or sand containing little oxygen, it can harden and eventually fossilize, becoming the yellowish, translucent substance known as amber. If any insects or other organisms are trapped in the resin before it hardens, they can be preserved, often in exquisite detail. By studying these preserved organisms, scientists are able learn key facts about life on Earth millions of years ago.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.