English dictionary
ambergris
/'/&/mb/@/r,gr/i/s/
Definitions, examples, synonyms and antonyms from WordNet 3.0.
noun
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waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale and found floating at sea or washed ashore; used in perfume
Source: WordNet 3.0
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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 (<i>Physeter macrocephalus</i>), 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.
Source: webster1913