ambrosia

See also: ambrosía, ambrósia, ambrôsia, and Ambrosia

English

Ambrosia dessert (sense 8)

Etymology

From Latin ambrosia (“food of the gods”), from Ancient Greek ἀμβροσία (ambrosía, “immortality”), from ἄμβροτος (ámbrotos, “immortal”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) +‎ βροτός (brotós, “mortal”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /æmˈbɹoʊʒə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

ambrosia (countable and uncountable, plural ambrosias)

2. (Greek mythology, Roman mythology) The food of the gods, thought to confer immortality.
   • 1845 November, Caroline Lee Hentz, “The Mysterious Reticule”, in Sarah J[osepha] Hale, Morton M’Michael, Louis A[ntoine] Godey, editors, Godey’s Magazine and Lady’s Book, volume XXXI, number 16, Philadelphia, Pa.: Louis A. Godey, […], page 202, column 1:

     He had a most intense admiration of female loveliness, and looked upon woman as a kind of super-angelic being, whose food should be the ambrosiæ and nectar of the gods, and whose garments the spotless white of vestal purity.

3. (Greek mythology, Roman mythology) The anointing-oil of the gods.
4. Any food with an especially delicious flavour or fragrance.
5. Anything delightfully sweet and pleasing.
   • 2001, Jamal A. Rayyis, Food & Wine Magazine’s Wine Guide 2002, New York, N.Y.: American Express Publishing Corporation, →ISBN, pages 112 and 278:

     A favorite. It’s refreshing now and will evolve into golden ambrosia with age. […] The dessert wines of the Loire Valley and AJsace also deserve recognition. From the Anjou area of the Loire come the ambrosiae of Savennières, Bonnezeaux, and Quarts de Chaume.

6. An annual herb historically used medicinally and in cooking, Dysphania botrys.
7. A mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and fed to larvae.
8. Any fungus of a number of species that insects such as ambrosia beetles carry as symbionts, "farming" them on poor-quality food such as wood, where they grow, providing food for the insect.
10. A dessert originating in the Southern United States made of shredded coconuts and tropical fruits such as pineapples and oranges; some recipes also include ingredients such as marshmallow and cream.
11. A plant of the genus Ambrosia.

    Synonym: ragweed

    • 1905 June, W[illia]m [Philipps] Dunbar, “An Address on the Cause and Treatment of Hay-Fever”, in H[anau] W[olf] Loeb, editor, Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, volume XIV, number 2, St. Louis, Mo.: Jones H. Parker, […], page 315:

      Their disease does not appear before August. At this time, throughout the entire United States one could say, not only in every field, in every meadow and in every forest, but even in the largest cities, there blooms the ambrosiæ, which are commonly known as ragweed; […]

    • 1916 September 16, W[illiam] Scheppegrell, “Direct and Indirect Hay-Fever: Preliminary Report of the Research Department of the American Hay-Fever-Prevention Association on the Etiology of Hay-Fever”, in George H[enry] Simmons, editor, The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume LXVII, number 12, Chicago, Ill.: American Medical Association, pages 862–863:

      Fig. 1.—Spiculated pollens of ragweeds (ambrosias) low in protein. […] In the cocklebur (Xanthium americanum) and the rough wild elder (Iva ciliata), the spicules are shorter, being 0.7 and 0.5 microns, and the reaction is proportionately less active than with the ragweeds (ambrosias). […] While the grass pollens have so light a coat that they are frequently crushed in the ordinary process of mounting, the ragweed (ambrosias) pollen grains resist pressure between two glass slides carried to the point of crushing the glass.

    • 1917 September, “Eastern and Western Hay Fever Plants”, in The Druggists Circular: A Practical Journal of Pharmacy and General Business Organ for Druggists, volume LXI, number 9 (whole 729), New York, N.Y.: The Druggists Circular, […], page 448, columns 1–2:

      Dr. William Scheppergrell,^{[sic – meaning Scheppegrell]} in Public Health Reports, states that the common and giant ragweeds (ambrosias), which are the principal causes of hay fever in the Eastern States, do not grow so abundantly in the West, and that the pollens of other plants, notably the wormwoods (artemisias), are the exciting causes of hay fever in the Pacific and Mountain States. […] [quoting Scheppegrell] The most important hay-fever weeds of the Pacific and Mountain States, and which give the most severe reaction, are the wormwoods (artemisias). While their pollen is not produced in the same profusion as that of the ragweeds (ambrosias), they give a marked hay-fever reaction which in some species is five times as active as that of the ragweed (ambrosia).

      The original report by Scheppegrell has artemisias and ambrosias capitalized and in italics.

    • 1943 July 11, Julia Durham, “Social and Personal: Blue Ribbons Awarded 22 Exhibitors; Red Ribbons To 13 In Flower Show”, in Kentucky Advocate, volume LXXVIII, number 3, Danville, Ky., page three:

      Section G: The Collector’s corner, Mrs. J. R. Cowan, blue, for her ambrosiae.

    • 1967 August 17, Paul Key, “Here’s to Health: Help Available for Hay Feverites”, in The Daily Register, volume 90, number 37, Red Bank, N.J., page 12:

      Once again there can be heard throughout the eastern part of the country the stacatto^[sic] sneezing, the hacking cough and the stuffy head of the hay fever patient, for ragweed season is upon us. As it does each year, about the fifteenth of August, plants of the group called ambrosiae spread their pollens to the wind and the misery begins.

    • 1974, E. M. Shumakov, G. V. Gusev, N. S. Fedorinchik, editors, Biological Agents for Plant Protection, Moscow: "Kolos", →OCLC, page 307:

      The ambrosias [ragweeds] are not only very harmful competitors of plants, but they also are dangerous vectors of allergic illnesses of man.

    • 1980, William R. Solomon, “Common Pollen and Fungus Allergens”, in C[harles] Warren Bierman, David S. Pearlman, editors, Allergic Diseases of Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence, Philadelphia, Pa., Eastbourne, East Sussex, Toronto, Ont.: W. B. Saunders Company, →ISBN, section “Etiologic and Pathogenetic Considerations”, page 232, column 1:

      To the west, perennial ragweed (A. psilostachya) and additional species including perennial slender ragweed (A. confertiflora) and annual bur ragweed (A. acanthocarpa) are prominent in the Great Plains and Great Basin areas, while canyon ragweed (A. ambrosioides), rabbit bush (A. deltoidea), and burroweed (A. dumosa) are ragweeds of southwestern deserts. Several of these species previously were classified in the genus Franseria (as “false ragweeds”); however, they appear to be valid ambrosias with respect to both form and pollen allergens.

    • 1995, Bill Branon, Devils Hole, New York, N.Y.: HarperCollins, →ISBN, page 45:

      Sunflowers grace most of the continental United States with a lush, vibrant beauty. But not the ambrosiae. These plants—also called western ragweed—populate the sprawling southwestern flatlands of the Mojave, the Sonoran, and the Great Basin deserts.

Derived terms

• ambrosia beetle
• ambrosiac
• ambrosia fungus
• ambrosial
• ambrosian
• ambrosiate

 

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *mer- (2 c, 0 e)

Translations

food of gods or delicious foods

• Armenian: ամբրոսիա (hy) (ambrosia), ամբրոս (hy) (ambros)

  Old Armenian: անուշակ կերակուր (anušak kerakur)

• Bulgarian: амбро́зия (bg) f (ambrózija)
• Burmese: နတ်သုဓာ (my) (natsu.dha)
• Catalan: ambrosia (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 神食 (zh) (shénshí), 神的食物 (shén de shíwù)

• Danish: ambrosia
• Dutch: ambrozijn (nl), godenbrood n
• Esperanto: ambrozio
• Estonian: ambroosia
• Finnish: ambrosia (fi)
• French: ambroisie (fr) f
• German: Ambrosia (de) f, Götterspeise (de) f
• Greek: αμβροσία (el) f (amvrosía)

  Ancient: ἀμβροσία f (ambrosía)

• Hebrew: אמברוסיה (he)
• Irish: ambróise f
• Italian: ambrosia (it)
• Japanese: アムブロシア (amuburoshia)
• Latin: ambrosia f
• Lithuanian: ambrozija
• Malay: ambrosia
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: ambrosia (no) m

  Nynorsk: ambrosia m

• Polish: ambrozja (pl) f
• Portuguese: ambrosia (pt) f
• Russian: амбро́зия (ru) f (ambrózija)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: амброзија f

  Roman: ambrozija (sh) f

• Slovene: ambrozija (sl)
• Spanish: ambrosía (es) f
• Swedish: ambrosia (sv)
• Tagalog: ambrosya
• Tibetan: བདུད་རྩི (bdud rtsi)
• Volapük: brosiam (vo)

plant of the genus Ambrosia — see ragweed

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Sanskrit: ^{(please verify)} अमृत (sa) m (amṛta)

See also

• manna (noun)
• mead (noun)
• nectar (noun)

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “ambrosia”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• Ambrosia on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Dysphania botrys on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Bee pollen on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Ambrosia fungi on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Ambrosia (fruit salad) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Ragweed on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Saboraim

Finnish

Etymology

From translingual Ambrosia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑmbrosiɑ/, [ˈɑ̝mbro̞ˌs̠iɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -iɑ
• Syllabification^(key): amb‧ro‧si‧a

Noun

ambrosia

1. ambrosia

Declension

Inflection of ambrosia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		ambrosia	ambrosiat
genitive		ambrosian	ambrosioiden ambrosioitten
partitive		ambrosiaa	ambrosioita
illative		ambrosiaan	ambrosioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ambrosia	ambrosiat
accusative	nom.	ambrosia	ambrosiat
	gen.	ambrosian
genitive		ambrosian	ambrosioiden ambrosioitten ambrosiain rare
partitive		ambrosiaa	ambrosioita
inessive		ambrosiassa	ambrosioissa
elative		ambrosiasta	ambrosioista
illative		ambrosiaan	ambrosioihin
adessive		ambrosialla	ambrosioilla
ablative		ambrosialta	ambrosioilta
allative		ambrosialle	ambrosioille
essive		ambrosiana	ambrosioina
translative		ambrosiaksi	ambrosioiksi
abessive		ambrosiatta	ambrosioitta
instructive		—	ambrosioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ambrosia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ambrosiani ambrosiani accusative nom. ambrosiani ambrosiani gen. ambrosiani genitive ambrosiani ambrosioideni ambrosioitteni ambrosiaini rare partitive ambrosiaani ambrosioitani inessive ambrosiassani ambrosioissani elative ambrosiastani ambrosioistani illative ambrosiaani ambrosioihini adessive ambrosiallani ambrosioillani ablative ambrosialtani ambrosioiltani allative ambrosialleni ambrosioilleni essive ambrosianani ambrosioinani translative ambrosiakseni ambrosioikseni abessive ambrosiattani ambrosioittani instructive — — comitative — ambrosioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ambrosiasi ambrosiasi accusative nom. ambrosiasi ambrosiasi gen. ambrosiasi genitive ambrosiasi ambrosioidesi ambrosioittesi ambrosiaisi rare partitive ambrosiaasi ambrosioitasi inessive ambrosiassasi ambrosioissasi elative ambrosiastasi ambrosioistasi illative ambrosiaasi ambrosioihisi adessive ambrosiallasi ambrosioillasi ablative ambrosialtasi ambrosioiltasi allative ambrosiallesi ambrosioillesi essive ambrosianasi ambrosioinasi translative ambrosiaksesi ambrosioiksesi abessive ambrosiattasi ambrosioittasi instructive — — comitative — ambrosioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ambrosiamme ambrosiamme accusative nom. ambrosiamme ambrosiamme gen. ambrosiamme genitive ambrosiamme ambrosioidemme ambrosioittemme ambrosiaimme rare partitive ambrosiaamme ambrosioitamme inessive ambrosiassamme ambrosioissamme elative ambrosiastamme ambrosioistamme illative ambrosiaamme ambrosioihimme adessive ambrosiallamme ambrosioillamme ablative ambrosialtamme ambrosioiltamme allative ambrosiallemme ambrosioillemme essive ambrosianamme ambrosioinamme translative ambrosiaksemme ambrosioiksemme abessive ambrosiattamme ambrosioittamme instructive — — comitative — ambrosioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ambrosianne ambrosianne accusative nom. ambrosianne ambrosianne gen. ambrosianne genitive ambrosianne ambrosioidenne ambrosioittenne ambrosiainne rare partitive ambrosiaanne ambrosioitanne inessive ambrosiassanne ambrosioissanne elative ambrosiastanne ambrosioistanne illative ambrosiaanne ambrosioihinne adessive ambrosiallanne ambrosioillanne ablative ambrosialtanne ambrosioiltanne allative ambrosiallenne ambrosioillenne essive ambrosiananne ambrosioinanne translative ambrosiaksenne ambrosioiksenne abessive ambrosiattanne ambrosioittanne instructive — — comitative — ambrosioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ambrosiansa ambrosiansa accusative nom. ambrosiansa ambrosiansa gen. ambrosiansa genitive ambrosiansa ambrosioidensa ambrosioittensa ambrosiainsa rare partitive ambrosiaansa ambrosioitaan ambrosioitansa inessive ambrosiassaan ambrosiassansa ambrosioissaan ambrosioissansa elative ambrosiastaan ambrosiastansa ambrosioistaan ambrosioistansa illative ambrosiaansa ambrosioihinsa adessive ambrosiallaan ambrosiallansa ambrosioillaan ambrosioillansa ablative ambrosialtaan ambrosialtansa ambrosioiltaan ambrosioiltansa allative ambrosialleen ambrosiallensa ambrosioilleen ambrosioillensa essive ambrosianaan ambrosianansa ambrosioinaan ambrosioinansa translative ambrosiakseen ambrosiaksensa ambrosioikseen ambrosioiksensa abessive ambrosiattaan ambrosiattansa ambrosioittaan ambrosioittansa instructive — — comitative — ambrosioineen ambrosioinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• ambrosiakakku

 

Further reading

• “ambrosia”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Italian

Etymology

From Latin ambrosia, borrowed from Ancient Greek ἀμβροσίᾱ (ambrosíā, “immortality”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /amˈbrɔ.zja/
• Rhymes: -ɔzja
• Hyphenation: am‧brò‧sia

Noun

ambrosia f (plural ambrosie)

1. ambrosia (all senses)
2. (figurative) honeydew

Related terms

• Ambrogio

Anagrams

• arabismo, bramosia, brasiamo

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀμβροσία (ambrosía, “immortality”), from ἄμβροτος (ámbrotos, “immortal”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /amˈbro.si.a/, [ämˈbrɔs̠iä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /amˈbro.si.a/, [ämˈbrɔːs̬iä]

Noun

ambrosia f (genitive ambrosiae); first declension

1. The food of the gods; ambrosia.
2. The unguent of the gods.
3. The plant, artemisia, of the genus Artemisia.
4. An antidote to a poison.

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	ambrosia	ambrosiae
genitive	ambrosiae	ambrosiārum
dative	ambrosiae	ambrosiīs
accusative	ambrosiam	ambrosiās
ablative	ambrosiā	ambrosiīs
vocative	ambrosia	ambrosiae

Derived terms

• ambrosiacus

Related terms

• ambrosius

Descendants

• → Catalan: ambrosia
• → English: ambrosia
• → Finnish: ambrosia
• → French: ambroisie
• → Italian: ambrosia
• → Portuguese: ambrosia
• → Romanian: ambrozie
• → Russian: амбро́зия f (ambrózija)
• → Spanish: ambrosía

References

• “ambrosia”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ambrosia”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ambrosia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “ambrosia”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia‎^[2]
• “ambrosia”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “ambrosia”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• ambrósia, ambrôsia

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ɐ̃.bɾoˈzi.ɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ɐ̃.bɾoˈzi.ɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ɐ̃.bɾoˈzi.a/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ̃.bɾuˈzi.ɐ/

Noun

ambrosia f (plural ambrosias)

1. (Greek mythology, Roman mythology) ambrosia (food of gods or delicious foods)
2. (cooking) Portuguese-Brazilian dessert made with sugar, milk, and eggs

Further reading

• “ambrosia”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
• “ambrosia”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024
• ambrosia on the Portuguese Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^pt
• ambrosia (doce) on the Portuguese Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^pt

Swedish

Noun

ambrosia c

1. (Greek mythology) ambrosia
2. (figuratively) ambrosia (something very tasty)

Declension

Declension of ambrosia

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	ambrosia	ambrosias
	definite	ambrosian	ambrosians
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

See also

• nektar

References

• ambrosia in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• ambrosia in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• ambrosia in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)