ambergris
an opaque, ash-colored secretion of the sperm whale intestine, usually found floating on the ocean or cast ashore: used in perfumery.
Origin of ambergris
1Words Nearby ambergris
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ambergris in a sentence
Oriental ambergris to put in the kings food and in his claret was another expensive item.
Medival Byways | Louis F. SalzmannIt may be noted that both the Malays and the Chinese attribute the origin of ambergris to either a sea-dragon or a sea-serpent.
Mythical Monsters | Charles GouldBring wine and essences, electuaries and ambergris, if the refectioner have any with him.
Wager of Battle | Henry William HerbertTurn a pint of alcohol slowly on to an ounce and a half of the oil of lavender, two drachms of ambergris.
The American Housewife | AnonymousSwimming out in the salt water, the mermaids would go in quest of pearls, coral, ambergris and other pretty things.
Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks | William Elliot Griffis
British Dictionary definitions for ambergris
/ (ˈæmbəˌɡriːs, -ˌɡrɪs) /
a waxy substance consisting mainly of cholesterol secreted by the intestinal tract of the sperm whale and often found floating in the sea: used in the manufacture of perfumes
Origin of ambergris
1Collins 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 ambergris
[ ăm′bər-grĭs′, -grēs′ ]
A yellow, gray, or black waxy material formed in the intestines of sperm whales that consists of a mixture of steroid derivatives. It is often found floating at sea or washed ashore, has a pleasant odor, and is added to perfumes as a fixative to slow down the rate of evaporation.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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