Link Centre Dictionary

ambergris

am·berg·ris

UK/ˈæm.bə.ɡɹɪs/ US/ˈæm.bɚ.ɡɹɪs/ uncommon

noun

1.

waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale and found floating at sea or washed ashore; used in perfume

Origin

From Old French ambre gris (“grey amber”). Though the term was initially spaced as two words, single-word forms predominated by the 19th century. In the 17th century, folk etymologies interpreting the term as amber grease or amber [of] Greece enjoyed some popularity.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.