Ambergris
/ˈæm.bər.ɡriːs/noun
A waxy, gray, fragrant substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales and used in perfumery.
Did you know?Ambergris took its name because medieval Europeans thought it was a kind of amber, but the word came through Old French from Arabic and originally meant a gray, resin-like substance.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ʿanbar
“A fragrant substance, often referring to ambergris”
Old French
OF
ambre gris
“Gray amber, distinguishing it from yellow amber”
Middle English
ME
aumbergrise
“Ambergris, the waxy fragrant material”
16th Century
English
ambergris
“The perfumed whale-derived substance used in medicine and luxury goods”
Modern English
English
ambergris
“A waxy, gray, fragrant substance produced in the intestines of sperm whales”