am·bro·sia
Audio Help [am-broh-zhuh] Pronunciation Key
Audio Help [am-broh-zhuh] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | Classical Mythology. the food of the gods. Compare nectar (def. 3). |
| 2. | something especially delicious to taste or smell. |
| 3. | a fruit dessert made of oranges and shredded coconut and sometimes pineapple. |
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
ambrosia
To learn more about ambrosia visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| am·bro·sia
Audio Help (ām-brō'zhə, -zhē-ə) Pronunciation Key
n.
[Latin, from Greek ambrosiā, from ambrotos, immortal, immortalizing; see mer- in Indo-European roots.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
ambrosia
1555, "favored food or drink of the gods," from L. ambrosia, from Gk. ambrosios, lit. "of the immortals," from a- "not" + mbrotos, related to mortos "mortal." Applied to certain herbs by Pliny and Dioscorides; used of various foods for mortals since 1685 (originally of fruit drinks).
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| ambrosia | |
noun | |
| 1. | a mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and fed to larvae [syn: beebread] |
| 2. | any of numerous chiefly North American weedy plants constituting the genus Ambrosia that produce highly allergenic pollen responsible for much hay fever and asthma [syn: ragweed] |
| 3. | fruit dessert made of oranges and bananas with shredded coconut |
| 4. | (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
ambrosia [(am-broh-zhuh)]
The food of the gods in classical mythology. Those who ate it became immortal.
Note: Particularly delicious food is sometimes called “ambrosia.”
[Chapter:] Mythology and Folklore
| The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
Ambrosia
Am"brose\, n. A sweet-scented herb; ambrosia. See Ambrosia, 3. --Turner.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
Ambrosia
Am*bro"sia\ (?; 277), n. [L. ambrosia, Gr. ?, properly fem. of ?, fr. ? immortal, divine; 'a priv. + ? mortal (because it was supposed to confer immortality on those who partook of it). ? stands for ?, akin to Skr. mrita, L. mortuus, dead, and to E. 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 (Bot.), a genus of plants, including some coarse and worthless weeds, called ragweed, hogweed, etc.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
View results from: Dictionary | Thesaurus | Encyclopedia | All Reference | the Web
Perform a new search, or try your search for "ambrosia" at:
- Amazon.com - Shop for books, music and more
- Reference.com - Encyclopedia Search
- Reference.com - Web Search powered by Google
- Thesaurus.com - Search for synonyms and antonyms














