ambergris Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun waxy substance secreted by the sperm whale and found floating at sea or washed ashore; used in perfume

F. ambre gris, i. e., gray amber; F. gris gray, which is of German origin: cf. OS. grîs, G. greis, gray-haired. See Amber.

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 (Physeter macrocephalus), 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. Dana.