Part 208

2. Frenzy; madness. [Obs.] Webster (1661).

A*maz"ing (&?;), a. Causing amazement; very wonderful; as, amazing grace. -- A*maz"ing*ly, adv.

Am"a*zon (&?;), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;.] 1. One of a fabulous race of female warriors in Scythia; hence, a female warrior.

2. A tall, strong, masculine woman; a virago.

3. (Zoöl.) A name numerous species of South American parrots of the genus Chrysotis

Amazon ant (Zoöl.), a species of ant (Polyergus rufescens), of Europe and America. They seize by conquest the larvæ and nymphs of other species and make slaves of them in their own nests.

Am`a*zo"ni*an (&?;), a. 1. Pertaining to or resembling an Amazon; of masculine manners; warlike. Shak.

2. Of or pertaining to the river Amazon in South America, or to its valley.

{ Am"a*zon*ite (&?;), Am"a*zon stone` (&?;), } n. [Named from the river Amazon.] (Min.) A variety of feldspar, having a verdigris-green color.

Amb-, Am*bi-. [L. prefix ambi-, amb-, akin to Gr. &?;, Skr. abhi, AS. embe, emb, OHG. umbi, umpi, G. um, and also L. ambo both. Cf. Amphi-, Both, By.] A prefix meaning about, around; -- used in words derived from the Latin.

||Am*ba"ges (&?;), n. pl. [L. (usually in pl.); pref. ambi-, amb- + agere to drive: cf. F. ambage.] A circuit; a winding. Hence: Circuitous way or proceeding; quibble; circumlocution; indirect mode of speech.

After many ambages, perspicuously define what this melancholy is. Burton.

Am*bag"i*nous (&?;), a. Ambagious. [R.]

Am*ba"gious (&?;), a. [L. ambagiosus.] Circumlocutory; circuitous. [R.]

Am*bag"i*to*ry (&?;), a. Ambagious. [R.]

Am"bas*sade (&?;), Em"bas*sade (&?;), n. [F. ambassade. See Embassy.] 1. The mission of an ambassador. [Obs.] Carew.

2. An embassy. [Obs.] Strype.

Am*bas"sa*dor (&?;), Em*bas"sa*dor (&?;), n. [See Embassador.] 1. A minister of the highest rank sent to a foreign court to represent there his sovereign or country.

Ambassadors are either ordinary [or resident] or extraordinary, that is, sent upon some special or unusual occasion or errand. Abbott.

2. An official messenger and representative.

Am*bas`sa*do"ri*al (&?;), a. Of or pertaining to an ambassador. H. Walpole.

Am*bas`sa*dor*ship (&?;), n. The state, office, or functions of an ambassador.

Am*bas"sa*dress (&?;), n. A female ambassador; also, the wife of an ambassador. Prescott.

Am"bas*sage (&?;), n. Same as Embassage. [Obs. or R.] Luke xiv. 32.

Am"bas*sy (&?;), n. See Embassy, the usual spelling. Helps.

Am"ber, n. [OE. aumbre, F. ambre, Sp. ámbar, and with the Ar. article, alámbar, fr. Ar. 'anbar ambergris.] 1. (Min.) A yellowish translucent resin resembling copal, found as a fossil in alluvial soils, with beds of lignite, or on the seashore in many places. It takes a fine polish, and is used for pipe mouthpieces, beads, etc., and as a basis for a fine varnish. By friction, it becomes strongly electric.

2. Amber color, or anything amber-colored; a clear light yellow; as, the amber of the sky.

3. Ambergris. [Obs.]