Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ambergris” come from?

Ambergris comes from Old French ambre gris, meaning gray amber, a substance valued in perfumery whose origin was historically mysterious.

ambergris (English): A solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey...

Definitions

  1. A solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey...

Ancestry of “ambergris”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchambre grisgrey amber
Every word from Old French ambre gris →