ambergris

[am-ber-grees, -gris] /ˈæm bərˌgris, -grɪs/
noun
1.
an opaque, ash-colored secretion of the sperm whale intestine, usually found floating on the ocean or cast ashore: used in perfumery.
Origin
1375-1425; < Middle French ambre gris gray amber (see amber); replacing late Middle English imbergres
Examples from the web for ambergris
  • The animals were targeted for oil and ambergris, a substance that forms around squid beaks in a whale's stomach.
British Dictionary definitions for ambergris

ambergris

/ˈæmbəˌɡriːs; -ˌɡrɪs/
noun
1.
a waxy substance consisting mainly of cholesterol secreted by the intestinal tract of the sperm whale and often found floating in the sea: used in the manufacture of perfumes
Word Origin
C15: from Old French ambre gris grey amber
Word Origin and History for ambergris
n.

early 15c., from Middle French ambre gris "gray amber" (see amber), "a wax-like substance of ashy colour, found floating in tropical seas, a morbid secretion from the intestines of the sperm-whale. Used in perfumery, and formerly in cookery" [OED]. King Charles II's favorite dish was said to be eggs and ambergris [Macauley, "History of England"]. French gris is from Frankish *gris or some other Germanic source (cf. Dutch grijs, Old High German gris; see gray).

Praise is like ambergris; a little whiff of it, by snatches, is very agreeable; but when a man holds a whole lump of it to his nose, it is a stink and strikes you down. [Pope, c.1720]

ambergris in Science
ambergris
  (ām'bər-grĭs', -grēs')   
A yellow, gray, or black waxy material formed in the intestines of sperm whales that consists of a mixture of steroid derivatives. It is often found floating at sea or washed ashore, has a pleasant odor, and is added to perfumes as a fixative to slow down the rate of evaporation.