Amber Am"ber noun [ Middle English
aumbre , French
ambre , Spanish
ámbar , and with the Arabic article,
alámbar , from Arabic
'anbar ambergris.]
1. (Min.) A yellowish translucent resin resembling copal, found as a fossil in alluvial soils, with beds of lignite, or on the seashore in many places. It takes a fine polish, and is used for pipe mouthpieces, beads, etc., and as a basis for a fine varnish. By friction, it becomes strongly electric. 2. Amber color, or anything amber-colored; a clear light yellow; as, the amber of the sky. 3. Ambergris. [ Obsolete]
You that smell of amber at my charge.
Beau. & Fl.
4. The balsam, liquidambar. Black amber ,
and old and popular name for jet .
Amber Am"ber adjective 1. Consisting of amber; made of amber. "
Amber bracelets."
Shak. 2. Resembling amber, especially in color; amber- colored. "The
amber morn."
Tennyson.
Amber Am"ber transitive verb [
past participle & p. adjective Ambered .]
1. To scent or flavor with ambergris; as, ambered wine. 2. To preserve in amber; as, an ambered fly.
Amber fish Am"ber fish (Zoology) A fish of the southern Atlantic coast ( Seriola Carolinensis. )
Amber room Am"ber room A room formerly in the Czar's Summer Palace in Russia, which was richly decorated with walls and fixtures made from amber. The amber was removed by occupying German troops during the Second World War and has, as of 1997, never been recovered. The room is being recreated from old photographs by Russian artisans. PJC
Amber seed Am"ber seed` Seed of the Hibiscus abelmoschus , somewhat resembling millet, brought from Egypt and the West Indies, and having a flavor like that of musk; musk seed. Chambers.
Amber tree Am"ber tree` A species of Anthospermum , a shrub with evergreen leaves, which, when bruised, emit a fragrant odor.
Ambergrease Am"ber·grease noun See Ambergris .
Ambergris Am"ber·gris noun [ French
ambre gris , i. e., gray amber; French
gris gray, which is of German origin: confer Old Saxon
grîs , German
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° Fahrenheit, and is highly valued in perfumery. Dana.
Ambes-as Ambes"-as noun Ambs-ace. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Ambidexter Am"bi·dex"ter adjective [ Late Latin , from Latin
ambo both +
dexter right,
dextra (sc.
manus ) the right hand.]
Using both hands with equal ease. Smollett.
Ambidexter Am`bi·dex"ter noun 1. A person who uses both hands with equal facility. 2. Hence:
A double-dealer; one equally ready to act on either side in party disputes. The rest are hypocrites, ambidexters , so many turning pictures -- a lion on one side, a lamb on the other.
Burton.
3. (Law) A juror who takes money from both parties for giving his verdict. Cowell.
Ambidexterity Am"bi·dex·ter"i·ty noun 1. The quality of being ambidextrous; the faculty of using both hands with equal facility. Hence:
Versatility; general readiness; as, ambidexterity of argumentation. Sterne. Ignorant I was of the human frame, and of its latent powers, as regarded speed, force, and ambidexterity .
De Quincey.
2. Double-dealing. (Law) A juror's taking of money from the both parties for a verdict.
Ambidextral Am`bi·dex"tral adjective Pertaining equally to the right-hand side and the left-hand side. Earle.
Ambidextrous Am`bi·dex"trous adjective 1. Having the faculty of using both hands with equal ease. Sir T. Browne. 2. Practicing or siding with both parties. All false, shuffling, and ambidextrous dealings.
L'Estrange.
Ambidextrously Am"bi·dex"trous·ly adverb In an ambidextrous manner; cunningly.
Ambidextrousness Am`bi·dex"trous·ness noun The quality of being ambidextrous; ambidexterity.
Ambient Am"bi·ent adjective [ Latin
ambiens , present participle of
ambire to go around;
amb- +
ire to go.]
Encompassing on all sides; circumfused; investing. "
Ambient air."
Milton. "
Ambient clouds."
Pope.
Ambient Am"bi·ent noun Something that surrounds or invests; as, air . . . being a perpetual ambient . Sir H. Wotton.
Ambigenous Am·big"e·nous adjective [ Latin
ambo both +
genus kind.]
Of two kinds. (Botany) Partaking of two natures, as the perianth of some endogenous plants, where the outer surface is calycine, and the inner petaloid.
Ambigu Am"bi·gu noun [ French, from
ambigu doubtful, Latin
ambiquus . See
Ambiguous .]
An entertainment at which a medley of dishes is set on at the same time.
Ambiguity Am`bi·gu"i·ty noun ;
plural Ambiguities [ Latin
ambiguitas , from
ambiguus : confer French
ambiguité .]
The quality or state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty, particularly as to the signification of language, arising from its admitting of more than one meaning; an equivocal word or expression. No shadow of ambiguity can rest upon the course to be pursued.
I. Taylor.
The words are of single signification, without any ambiguity .
South.
Ambiguous Am·big"u·ous adjective [ Latin
ambiguus , from
ambigere to wander about, waver;
amb- +
agere to drive.]
Doubtful or uncertain, particularly in respect to signification; capable of being understood in either of two or more possible senses; equivocal; as, an ambiguous course; an ambiguous expression. What have been thy answers? What but dark,
Ambiguous , and with double sense deluding?
Milton.
Syn. -- Doubtful; dubious; uncertain; unsettled; indistinct; indeterminate; indefinite. See
Equivocal .
Ambiguously Am·big"u·ous·ly adverb In an ambiguous manner; with doubtful meaning.
Ambiguousness Am·big"u·ous·ness noun Ambiguity.
Ambilevous Am`bi·le"vous adjective [ Latin
ambo both +
laevus left.]
Left-handed on both sides; clumsy; -- opposed to ambidexter . [ R.]
Sir T. Browne.
Ambiloquy Am·bil"o·quy noun Doubtful or ambiguous language. [ Obsolete]
Bailey.
Ambiparous Am·bip"a·rous adjective [ Latin
ambo both +
parere to bring forth.]
(Botany) Characterized by containing the rudiments of both flowers and leaves; -- applied to a bud.
Ambit Am"bit noun [ Latin
ambitus circuit, from
ambire to go around. See
Ambient .]
Circuit or compass. His great parts did not live within a small ambit .
Milward.
Ambition Am·bi"tion noun [ French
ambition , Latin
ambitio a going around, especially of candidates for office is Rome, to solicit votes (hence, desire for office or honor... from
ambire to go around. See
Ambient ,
Issue .]
1. The act of going about to solicit or obtain an office, or any other object of desire; canvassing. [ Obsolete]
[ I] used no ambition to commend my deeds.
Milton.
2. An eager, and sometimes an inordinate, desire for preferment, honor, superiority, power, or the attainment of something. Cromwell, I charge thee, fling a way ambition :
By that sin fell the angels.
Shak.
The pitiful ambition of possessing five or six thousand more acres.
Burke.
Ambition Am·bi"tion transitive verb [ Confer French
ambitionner .]
To seek after ambitiously or eagerly; to covet. [ R.]
Pausanias, ambitioning the sovereignty of Greece, bargains with Xerxes for his daughter in marriage.
Trumbull.
Ambitionist Am·bi"tion·ist noun One excessively ambitious. [ R.]
Ambitionless Am·bi"tion·less adjective Devoid of ambition. Pollok.
Ambitious Am·bi"tious adjective [ Latin
ambitiosus : confer French
ambitieux . See
Ambition .]
1. Possessing, or controlled by, ambition; greatly or inordinately desirous of power, honor, office, superiority, or distinction. Yet Brutus says he was ambitious ,
And Brutus is an honorable man.
Shak.
2. Strongly desirous; -- followed by of or the infinitive; as, ambitious to be or to do something. I was not ambitious of seeing this ceremony.
Evelyn.
Studious of song, and yet ambitious not to sing in vain.
Cowper.
3. Springing from, characterized by, or indicating, ambition; showy; aspiring; as, an ambitious style. A giant statue . . .
Pushed by a wild and artless race,
From off wide, ambitious base.
Collins.
Ambitiously Am·bi"tious·ly adverb In an ambitious manner.
Ambitiousness Am·bi"tious·ness (ăm*bĭsh"ŭs*nĕs)
noun The quality of being ambitious; ambition; pretentiousness.
Ambitus Am"bi·tus (ăm"bĭ*tŭs)
noun [ Latin See
Ambit ,
Ambition .]
1. The exterior edge or border of a thing, as the border of a leaf, or the outline of a bivalve shell. 2. (Rom. Antiq.) A canvassing for votes.
Amble Am"ble intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Ambled ;
present participle & verbal noun Ambling ] [ French
ambler to amble, from Latin
ambulare to walk, in Late Latin , to amble, perhaps from
amb- ,
ambi- , and a root meaning
to go : confer Greek ... to go, English
base . Confer
Ambulate .]
1. To go at the easy gait called an amble; -- applied to the horse or to its rider. 2. To move somewhat like an ambling horse; to go easily or without hard shocks. The skipping king, he ambled up and down.
Shak.
Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily.
Shak.
Amble Am"ble noun 1. A peculiar gait of a horse, in which both legs on the same side are moved at the same time, alternating with the legs on the other side. "A fine easy
amble ."
B. Jonson. 2. A movement like the amble of a horse.
Ambler Am"bler noun A horse or a person that ambles.
Amblingly Am"bling·ly adverb With an ambling gait.
Amblotic Am·blot"ic adjective [ Greek ..., ..., from ... an abortion.]
Tending to cause abortion.
Amblygon Am"bly·gon noun [ Greek ... obtuse + ... angle: confer French
amblygone .]
(Geom.) An obtuse-angled figure, esp. and obtuse-angled triangle. [ Obsolete]
Amblygonal Am·blyg"o·nal adjective Obtuse- angled. [ Obsolete]
Hutton.
Amblyopia, Amblyopy Am`bly·o"pi·a, Am"bly·o`py noun [ Greek ...; ... blunt, dim + ... eye: confer French
amblyopie .]
(Medicine) Weakness of sight, without and opacity of the cornea, or of the interior of the eye; the first degree of amaurosis.
Amblyopic Am"bly·op"ic adjective (Medicine) Of or pertaining to amblyopy. Quain.
Amblypoda Am·blyp"o·da noun plural [ New Latin , from Greek ... blunt + ..., ..., foot.]
(Paleon.) A group of large, extinct, herbivorous mammals, common in the Tertiary formation of the United States.
Ambo Am"bo noun ;
plural Ambos [ Late Latin
ambo , Greek ..., any rising, a raised stage, pulpit: confer French
ambon .]
A large pulpit or reading desk, in the early Christian churches. Gwilt.
Ambon Am"bon noun Same as Ambo .
Amboyna button Am·boy"na but"ton (Medicine) A chronic contagious affection of the skin, prevalent in the tropics.
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