ambergris

[am-ber-grees, -gris]

noun

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

1375–1425; < Middle French ambre gris gray amber (see amber); replacing late Middle English imbergres

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ambergris

Ambergris forms the basis of these, as it also does of the Indian pastilles called "Cachunde," and which were equally in repute.
Aphrodisiacs and Anti-aphrodisiacs: Three Essays on the Powers of Reproduction|John Davenport
A modern compiler, speaking of ambergris, says, "It smells like dried cow-dung."
The Art of Perfumery|G. W. Septimus Piesse
Swimming 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
It 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 Gould

Mix together one ounce of oil of rosemary and two drachms of essence of ambergris; add them to a pint of spirits of wine.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches|Eliza Leslie

British Dictionary definitions for ambergris

ambergris

noun

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

Word Origin for ambergris

C15: from Old French ambre gris grey amber

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

Word Origin and History for ambergris

early 15c., from Middle French ambre gris "gray amber" (see amber), "a wax-like substance of ashy colour, found floating in tropical seas, a morbid secretion from the intestines of the sperm-whale. Used in perfumery, and formerly in cookery" [OED]. King Charles II's favorite dish was said to be eggs and ambergris [Macauley, "History of England"]. French gris is from Frankish *gris or some other Germanic source (cf. Dutch grijs, Old High German gris; see gray).

Praise is like ambergris; a little whiff of it, by snatches, is very agreeable; but when a man holds a whole lump of it to his nose, it is a stink and strikes you down. [Pope, c.1720]

Science definitions for ambergris

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.