What is "ambrosia"

Ambrosia \Am*bro"sia\ (?; 277), n. [L. ambrosia, Gr. ?, properly fem. of ?, fr. ? immortal, divine; 'a priv. + ? mortal (because it was supposed to confer immortality on those who partook of it). ? stands for ?, akin to Skr. mrita, L. mortuus, dead, and to E. mortal.]

1. (Myth.)

   1. The fabled food of the gods (as nectar was their drink), which conferred immortality upon those who partook of it.

   2. An unguent of the gods.

      His dewy locks distilled ambrosia.
      --Milton.

2. A perfumed unguent, salve, or draught; something very pleasing to the taste or smell.
   --Spenser.

3. Formerly, a kind of fragrant plant; now (Bot.), a genus of plants, including some coarse and worthless weeds, called ragweed, hogweed, etc.

4. (Zo["o]l.) The food of certain small bark beetles, family Scolytid[ae] believed to be fungi cultivated by the beetles in their burrows.

5. A dessert made from shredded coconuts and oranges, sometimes including other ingredients such as marshmallow.

1550s, "favored food or drink of the gods," from Latin ambrosia, from Greek ambrosia "food of the gods," fem. of ambrosios, probably literally "of the immortals," from a- "not" (see a- (3)) + mbrotos, related to mortos "mortal," from PIE *mer- "to die" (see mortal (adj.)). Applied to certain herbs by Pliny and Dioscorides; used of various foods for mortals since 1680s (originally of fruit drinks); used figuratively for "anything delightful" by 1731.

n. 1 (context Greek mythology Roman mythology English) The food of the gods, thought to confer immortality. 2 Any food with an especially delicious flavour or fragrance. 3 A mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and fed to larvae. 4 A dessert made from shredded coconuts and oranges, sometimes including other ingredients such as marshmallow.

1. n. a mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and fed to larvae [syn: beebread]

2. any of numerous chiefly North American weedy plants constituting the genus Ambrosia that produce highly allergenic pollen responsible for much hay fever and asthma [syn: ragweed, bitterweed]

3. fruit dessert made of oranges and bananas with shredded coconut

4. (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal [syn: nectar]

Ambrosia is sometimes depicted in ancient art as distributed by a nymph labeled with that name. In the myth of Lycurgus, an opponent to the wine god Dionysus, violence committed against Ambrosia turns her into a grapevine.

Ambrosia is sometimes the food, sometimes the drink, of the gods of Greek mythology.

Ambrosia may also refer to:

Ambrosia is an American rock band formed in southern California in 1970. Ambrosia had five Top 40 hit singles on Warner Bros. Records released between 1975 and 1980, including the Top 5 hits " How Much I Feel" and " Biggest Part of Me". Most of the original band members have been active with the group continuously for the past 25 years to the present day.

Ambrosia currently tours internationally and has worked in the past and present with Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Alan Parsons, Bruce Hornsby, and most recently Michael McDonald, among other notable artists. In 2015 the group released a new single and plans to release an album of all-new material in 2016.

Ambrosia is a cultivar of apple originating in British Columbia in the early 1990s. The original tree was first cultivated by the Mennell family of Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, who discovered the apple growing in their orchard.

Ambrosia is a brand of food products in the United Kingdom. Its original product was a dried milk powder for infants, but it is now mostly known for its custard and rice pudding. The brand plays on the fact that it is made in Devon, England (at a factory in Lifton), with their original strapline "Devon knows how they make it so creamy".

Ambrosia is the self-titled debut album by Ambrosia. It was released in 1975 on 20th Century Fox Records. It spawned the top 20 chart single "Holdin' On to Yesterday" as well as the minor hit "Nice, Nice, Very Nice". The latter sets to music the lyrics to a poem in Kurt Vonnegut's " Cat's Cradle". The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Recording (other than Classical). Alan Parsons was the engineer for Ambrosia's first album and the producer for their second.

Ambrosia is a variation on the traditional fruit salad. Most ambrosia recipes contain fresh or sweetened pineapple, mandarin oranges or fresh orange sections, miniature marshmallows, and coconut. Other ingredients can include maraschino cherries, bananas, strawberries, peeled grapes, or crushed pecans. Ambrosia can also include whipped cream (or whipped topping), sour cream, cream cheese, pudding, yogurt, or cottage cheese. The mixture is refrigerated for a few hours or overnight before serving. Although the name references the food of Greek gods, it is widely believed to be an American dish originated in the late 19th century.