amber
pronunciation
How to pronounce amber in British English:
UK [ˈæmbə(r)]
How to pronounce amber in American English:
US [ˈæmbər]
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- Noun:
- a deep yellow color
- a hard yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin; used for jewelry
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- Adjective:
- a medium to dark brownish yellow color
Word Origin
- amber
- amber: [14] Amber was borrowed, via Old French, from Arabic ‘anbar, which originally meant ‘ambergris’ (and in fact until the early 18th century amber was used for ‘ambergris’ too). A perceived resemblance between the two substances had already led in Arabic to ‘amber’ ousting ‘ambergris’ as the main meaning of ‘anbar, and this was reflected as soon as English acquired it.In Scotland until as recently as the early 19th century lamber was the usual form. This arose from borrowing the French word for ‘amber’ complete with its definite article le: l’ambre. Before the introduction of the Arabic term into European languages, the ancestor of modern English glass appears to have been the word used for ‘amber’.=> ambergris
- amber (n.)
- mid-14c., "ambergris, perfume made from ambergris," from Old French ambre, from Medieval Latin ambar "ambergris," from Arabic 'anbar "ambergris." In Europe, the sense was extended, inexplicably, to fossil resins from the Baltic (late 13c. in Anglo-Latin; c. 1400 in English), which has become the main sense as the use of ambergris has waned. This formerly was known as white or yellow amber to distinguish it from ambergris, which word entered English early 15c. from French, which distinguished the two substances as ambre gris and amber jaune. The classical word for Baltic amber was electrum (compare electric).
Example
- 1. Summer is amber land under a sky of blue .
- 2. The blocks of amber were run past the synchrotron twice .
- 3. A recreation of the amber room-where did the original go ?
- 4. The wyse wy-160 : why my nightmares are in amber .
- 5. Nevertheless , the scientists have already found more than 700 specimens trapped in the indian amber .