Crossword clues for ambergris
ambergris
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Ambergris \Am"ber*gris\ ([a^]m"b[~e]r*gr[=e]s), n. [F. ambre
gris, i. e., gray amber; F. gris gray, which is of German
origin: cf. OS. gr[^i]s, G. greis, gray-haired. See Amber.]
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 212[deg] Fahrenheit, and is highly valued in
perfumery.
--Dana.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
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]. Its origin was a mystery in Johnson's day, and he records nine different theories. 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 (cognates: 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]
Wiktionary
n. (context uncountable English) 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.
WordNet
n. waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale and found floating at sea or washed ashore; used in perfume
Wikipedia
Ambergris ( or , , Ambre gris, ambergrease or grey amber) is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. The word amber is derived from the Arabic word "anbar" (عنبر).
Freshly produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odour. However, as it ages, it acquires a sweet, earthy scent commonly likened to the fragrance of rubbing alcohol without the vaporous chemical astringency. Although ambergris was formerly highly valued by perfumers as a fixative (allowing the scent to last much longer), it has now largely been replaced by synthetic ambroxan.
"Ambergris" is the 18th episode of the fourth season of the American animated comedy series Bob's Burgers. Written by Scott Jacobson, the episode sees the Belcher children— Tina ( Dan Mintz), Gene ( Eugene Mirman), and Louise ( Kristen Schaal)—discovering a lump of ambergris, which they decide to sell illegally with the assistance of former bank robber and family friend Mickey (guest voiced by Bill Hader) upon discovering its high monetary value. Meanwhile, Mr. Fischoeder (guest voiced by Kevin Kline) brings in his neurotic brother Felix (guest voiced by Zach Galifianakis) to help Bob ( H. Jon Benjamin) fix the plumbing system in his restaurant's bathroom.
"Ambergris" originally aired on April 20, 2014 on Fox and drew an audience of 1.52 million viewers, making it the lowest-watched episode of the series to date. Nonetheless, critical reviews of the episode from The A.V. Club and Paste were generally complimentary towards its humor and plot lines, with the latter review giving particular praise to Galifianakis' guest role as Felix Fischoeder.
Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.
Ambergris may also refer to:
- "Ambergris" (Bob's Burgers), an episode of the television series Bob's Burgers
- Ambergris Cay, an island within the Turks and Caicos Islands
- Ambergris Caye, an island in Belize
- Ambergris Glacier, in Antarctica
- Ambergris Stadium, in San Pedro Town, Belize
Usage examples of "ambergris".
So it was that Asquith purged his body of all nanotechnology, reversed some minor gene engineering, and arrived on Ambergris just in time for some of the excitement he thought he was seeking.
From other ships he looted cargoes of lapis, pearls, amber, diamonds, rubies, carnelian, ambergris, jade, ivory, and lignum vitae.
The dark opening to the treasure chamber exhaled the faint perfume of ambergris, frankincense, and sandalwood.
Ambergris, resisting the unprovoked invasion of Ambergris, and assisting in the evacuation of Ambergris, were acts of valor and military prowess unprecedented in the long histories of our peoples.
I have more than half persuaded myself that it is an enormous piece of ambergris, washed up by the sea.
If it is ambergris, we are made men: we have but to go to the nearest dealer and change it for its weight in gold, ha, ha, ha!
When the whale is ill, the ambergris is formed--I suppose you could say it is no more complicated than the process by which phlegm is formed in your throat when you have a cold, and the whale coughs it up, or spews it out in the form of a liquid which hardens on exposure to the air.
You see, ambergris is the most effective odor fixative that has ever been found.
He was indefatigable when it came to crushing bitter almond seeds in the screw press or mashing musk pods or mincing dollops of grey, greasy ambergris with a chopping knife or grating violet roots and digesting the shavings in the finest alcohol.
When I had finished, I loaded it with some chests of rubies, emeralds, ambergris, rock-crystal, and bales of rich stuffs.
Mohammedan travelers speak of ambergris swallowed by whales, who are made sick and regorge it.
So inventing by the light of inner consciousness alone, he worked up tiny doses of the grey ambergris into mutton fat, coloured it faintly pink with cochineal insects he caught on the prickly pear hedges, added a little crude borax as a preservative, and so produced a cosmetic that was no better and little worse than the thousand other nostrums of its kind in daily use elsewhere.
The smell of dust and time was overcome by that of cinnamon and ambergris as they descended.
She took ambergris from her pack and crumbled it, rubbed the waxy green granules into the soles of her feet, her wrists.
The arm on which she had rubbed the ambergris was sliding free, for the fabric did not adhere to it.