AMBERGRIS

ambergris

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

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

ambergris (usually uncountable, plural ambergrises)

A solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish color, produced in the intestines of the sperm whale. It is used in perfumes.

Synonyms

• grey amber, gray amber

Anagrams

• ambregris, grisamber

Source: Wiktionary


Am"ber*gris, n. Etym: [F. ambre gris, i. e., gray amber; F. gris gray, which is of German origin: cf. OS. grîs, G. greis, gray-haired. See Amber.]

Definition: A substance of the consistence of wax, found floating in the Indian Ocean and other parts of the tropics, and also as a morbid secretion in the intestines of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), which is believed to be in all cases its true origin. In color it is white, ash-gray, yellow, or black, and often variegated like marble. The floating masses are sometimes from sixty to two hundred and twenty-five pounds in weight. It is wholly volatilized as a white vapor at 212º Fahrenheit, and is highly valued in perfumery. Dana.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

27 June 2025

SQUARE

(adjective) having four equal sides and four right angles or forming a right angle; “a square peg in a round hole”; “a square corner”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee press is 230 cm (7 ft 6 in) in height and 72 cm (2 ft 4 in) in diameter and was created by Salzillo Tea and Coffee (Spain) in Murcia, Spain, in February 2007. The cafetière consists of a stainless steel container, a filtering piston, and a superior lid.

coffee icon