Amboyna pine Amboyna pine (Botany) The resiniferous tree Agathis Dammara , of the Moluccas.
Amboyna wood Am·boy"na wood A beautiful mottled and curled wood, used in cabinetwork. It is obtained from the Pterocarpus Indicus of Amboyna, Borneo, etc.
Ambreate Am"bre·ate noun (Chemistry) A salt formed by the combination of ambreic acid with a base or positive radical.
Ambreic Am·bre"ic adjective (Chemistry) Of or pertaining to ambrein; -- said of a certain acid produced by digesting ambrein in nitric acid.
Ambrein Am"bre·in noun [ Confer French
ambréine . See
Amber .]
(Chemistry) A fragrant substance which is the chief constituent of ambergris.
Ambrite Am"brite noun [ From
amber .]
A fossil resin occurring in large masses in New Zealand.
Ambrose Am"brose noun A sweet-scented herb; ambrosia. See Ambrosia , 3. Turner.
Ambrosia Am·bro"sia noun [ Latin
ambrosia , Greek ..., properly fem. of ..., from ... immortal, divine;
'a priv. + ... mortal (because it was supposed to confer immortality on those who partook of it). ... stands for ..., akin to Sanskrit
mrita , Latin
mortuus , dead, and to English
mortal .]
1. (Myth.) (a) The fabled food of the gods (as nectar was their drink), which conferred immortality upon those who partook of it. (b) 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 (Botany), a genus of plants, including some coarse and worthless weeds, called ragweed , hogweed , etc.
Ambrosia Am·bro"sia noun (Zoology) The food of certain small bark beetles, family Scolytidæ believed to be fungi cultivated by the beetles in their burrows.
Ambrosia beetle Ambrosia beetle (Zoology) A bark beetle that feeds on ambrosia.
Ambrosiac Am"bro"si·ac adjective [ Latin
ambrosiacus : confer French
ambrosiaque .]
Having the qualities of ambrosia; delicious. [ R.]"
Ambrosiac odors."
B. Jonson.
Ambrosial Am·bro"sial adjective [ Latin
ambrosius , Greek ....]
1. Consisting of, or partaking of the nature of, ambrosia; delighting the taste or smell; delicious. "
Ambrosial food." "
Ambrosial fragrance."
Milton. 2. Divinely excellent or beautiful. "Shakes his
ambrosial curls."
Pope.
Ambrosially Am·bro"sial·ly adverb After the manner of ambrosia; delightfully. "Smelt
ambrosially ."
Tennyson.
Ambrosian Am·bro"sian adjective Ambrosial. [ R.]
. Jonson.
Ambrosian Am·bro"sian adjective Of or pertaining to St. Ambrose; as, the Ambrosian office, or ritual, a formula of worship in the church of Milan, instituted by St. Ambrose. Ambrosian chant ,
the mode of signing or chanting introduced by St. Ambrose in the 4th century.
Ambrosin Am"bro·sin noun [ Late Latin
Ambrosin us nummus.]
An early coin struck by the dukes of Milan, and bearing the figure of St. Ambrose on horseback.
Ambrotype Am"bro·type (-tīp)
noun [ Greek
'a`mbrotos immortal +
-type .]
(Photog.) A picture taken on a plate of prepared glass, in which the lights are represented in silver, and the shades are produced by a dark background visible through the unsilvered portions of the glass.
Ambry Am"bry noun ;
plural Ambries [ Middle English
aumbry ,
almery , Old French
almarie ,
armarie ,
aumaire , French
armoire , Late Latin
armarium chest, cupboard, orig. a repository for arms, from Latin
arama arms. The word has been confused with
almonry . See
Armory .]
1. In churches, a kind of closet, niche, cupboard, or locker for utensils, vestments, etc. 2. A store closet, as a pantry, cupboard, etc. 3. Almonry. [
Improperly so used ]
Ambs-ace Ambs"-ace noun [ Old French
ambesas ;
ambes both (fr. Latin
ambo ) +
as ace. See
Ace .]
Double aces, the lowest throw of all at dice. Hence: Bad luck; anything of no account or value.
Ambulacral Am`bu·la"cral adjective (Zoology) Of or pertaining to ambulacra; avenuelike; as, the ambulacral ossicles, plates, spines, and suckers of echinoderms.
Ambulacriform Am`bu·la"cri·form adjective [
Ambulacrum +
-form ]
(Zoology) Having the form of ambulacra.
Ambulacrum Am`bu·la"crum noun ;
plural Ambulacra [ Latin , an alley or covered way.]
(Zoology) (a) One of the radical zones of echinoderms, along which run the principal nerves, blood vessels, and water tubes. These zones usually bear rows of locomotive suckers or tentacles, which protrude from regular pores. In star fishes they occupy the grooves along the under side of the rays. (b) One of the suckers on the feet of mites.
Ambulance Am"bu·lance noun [ French
ambulance , hôpital
ambulant , from Latin
ambulare to walk. See
Amble .]
(Mil.) (a) A field hospital, so organized as to follow an army in its movements, and intended to succor the wounded as soon as possible. Often used adjectively; as, an ambulance wagon; ambulance stretcher; ambulance corps. (b) An ambulance wagon or cart for conveying the wounded from the field, or to a hospital.
Ambulant Am"bu·lant adjective [ Latin
ambulans , present participle of
ambulare to walk: confer French
ambulant .]
Walking; moving from place to place. Gayton.
Ambulate Am"bu·late intransitive verb [ Latin
ambulare to walk. See
Amble .]
To walk; to move about. [ R.]
Southey.
Ambulation Am`bu·la"tion noun [ Latin
ambulatio .]
The act of walking. Sir T. Browne.
Ambulative Am"bu·la·tive adjective Walking. [ R.]
Ambulator Am"bu·la`tor noun 1. One who walks about; a walker. 2. (Zoology) (a) A beetle of the genus Lamia . (b) A genus of birds, or one of this genus. 3. An instrument for measuring distances; -- called also perambulator . Knight.
Ambulatorial Am`bu·la·to"ri·al adjective Ambulatory; fitted for walking. Verrill.
Ambulatory Am"bu·la·to·ry adjective [ Latin
ambulatorius .]
1. Of or pertaining to walking; having the faculty of walking; formed or fitted for walking; as, an ambulatory animal. 2. Accustomed to move from place to place; not stationary; movable; as, an ambulatory court, which exercises its jurisdiction in different places. The priesthood . . . before was very ambulatory , and dispersed into all families.
Jer. Taylor.
3. Pertaining to a walk. [ R.]
The princess of whom his majesty had an ambulatory view in his travels.
Sir H. Wotton.
4. (Law) Not yet fixed legally, or settled past alteration; alterable; as, the dispositions of a will are ambulatory until the death of the testator.
Ambulatory Am"bu·la·to·ry noun ;
plural Ambulatories [ Confer Late Latin
ambulatorium .]
(Architecture) A place to walk in, whether in the open air, as the gallery of a cloister, or within a building.
Amburry Am"bur·ry noun Same as Anbury .
Ambuscade Am`bus·cade" noun [ French
embuscade , from Italian
imboscata , or Spanish
emboscada , from
emboscar to ambush, from Late Latin
imboscare . See
Ambush ,
transitive verb ]
1. A lying in a wood, concealed, for the purpose of attacking an enemy by surprise. Hence: A lying in wait, and concealed in any situation, for a like purpose; a snare laid for an enemy; an ambush. 2. A place in which troops lie hid, to attack an enemy unexpectedly. [ R.]
Dryden. 3. (Mil.) The body of troops lying in ambush.
Ambuscade Am`bus·cade" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Ambuscaded ;
present participle & verbal noun Ambuscading ]
1. To post or conceal in ambush; to ambush. 2. To lie in wait for, or to attack from a covert or lurking place; to waylay.
Ambuscade Am`bus·cade" intransitive verb To lie in ambush.
Ambuscado Am`bus·ca"do noun Ambuscade. [ Obsolete]
Shak.
Ambuscadoed Am`bus·ca"doed past participle Posted in ambush; ambuscaded. [ Obsolete]
Ambush Am"bush (ăm"bosh)
noun [ French
embûche , from the verb. See
Ambush ,
transitive verb ]
1. A disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station. Hence: Unseen peril; a device to entrap; a snare. Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege
Or ambush from the deep.
Milton.
2. A concealed station, where troops or enemies lie in wait to attack by surprise. Bold in close ambush , base in open field.
Dryden.
3. The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; liers in wait. [ Obsolete]
The ambush arose quickly out of their place.
Josh. viii. 19.
To lay an ambush ,
to post a force in ambush.
Ambush Am"bush (ăm"bosh)
transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Ambushed ;
present participle & verbal noun Ambushing .] [ Middle English
enbussen ,
enbushen , Old French
embushier ,
embuissier , French
embûcher ,
embusquer , from Late Latin
imboscare ;
in + Late Latin
boscus ,
buscus , a wood; akin to German
bush , English
bush . See
Ambuscade ,
Bush .]
1. To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy. By ambushed men behind their temple laid,
We have the king of Mexico betrayed.
Dryden.
2. To attack by ambush; to waylay.
Ambush Am"bush intransitive verb To lie in wait, for the purpose of attacking by surprise; to lurk. Nor saw the snake that ambushed for his prey.
Trumbull.
Ambusher Am"bush·er noun One lying in ambush.
Ambushment Am"bush·ment noun [ Old French
embuschement . See
Ambush ,
transitive verb ]
An ambush. [ Obsolete]
2 Chron. xiii. 13.
Ambustion Am·bus"tion noun [ Latin
ambustio .]
(Medicine) A burn or scald. Blount.
Amebean Am`e·be"an adjective (Zoology) See Am...bean .
Ameer, Amir A·meer", A·mir" noun [ See
Emir .]
1. Emir. [ Obsolete]
2. One of the Mohammedan nobility of Afghanistan and Scinde.
Amel Am"el noun [ Middle English
amell , Old French
esmail , French
émail , of German origin; confer Old High German
smelzi , German
schmelz . See
Smelt ,
transitive verb ]
Enamel. [ Obsolete]
Boyle.
Amel Am"el transitive verb [ Middle English
amellen , Old French
esmailler , French
émailler , Old French
esmail , French
émail .]
To enamel. [ Obsolete]
Enlightened all with stars,
And richly ameled .
Chapman.
Amelcorn Am"el·corn` noun [ German
amelkorn : confer Middle High German
amel ,
amer , spelt, and Latin
amylum starch, Greek ....]
A variety of wheat from which starch is produced; -- called also French rice .
Ameliorable A·mel"io·ra·ble adjective Capable of being ameliorated.
Ameliorate A·mel"io·rate transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Ameliorated ;
present participle & verbal noun Ameliorating .] [ Latin
ad +
meliorare to make better: confer French
améliorer . See
Meliorate .]
To make better; to improve; to meliorate. In every human being there is a wish to ameliorate his own condition.
Macaulay.
Use the search box below if you want to search in Websters only, use the search box at the right to search all of Enyclo.
