Definition of "ambergris" []

• A waxy grayish substance formed in the intestines of sperm whales and found floating at sea or washed ashore. It is added to perfumes to slow down the rate of evaporation. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Believe it or not, ambergris is also considered gourmet food."
• "Though the word ambergris is but the French compound for grey amber, yet the two substances are quite distinct."
• "By any name ambergris was the standard of wealth of the age."