*amber*

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Amber is classified as a fossil resin, being typically of ancient origin, having solidified from the exudates of certain trees millions of years ago. Many pieces are found with insects embedded, the insects having been trapped by the resin while they were alive. The insects are often very well preserved, due to the antimicrobial action of components of the amber. It typically contains from 5 to 8 percent of succinic acid. "Baltic amber" has been mined for centuries in the region of Poland formerly called East Prussia, and is the variety used in most jewelry made in Poland and Russia. The Baltic strata containing amber extend under the sea, and amber beads may be found there deposited by waves along the shore. Amber was known to the ancient Greeks. The name "electron" comes from the Latin word for amber, electrum, derived from the Greek word, 'h`lektron (see electric), due to the electric charge that amber takes when rubbed, as with cat fur. Although at one time used in fine varnishes, it no longer has any commercial value for that purpose, being used mostly in jewelry. Significant deposits are also found in the Carribean region, and smaller amounts in various other places. The notion, that DNA sufficiently intact to recreate extinct animals might be extracted from amber, was the basis for Michael Crichton's novel "Jurassic Park", but has as yet (1997) not been demonstrated to be possible. [ PJC ]

2. Amber color, or anything amber-colored; a clear light yellow; as, the amber of the sky. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Ambergris. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

You that smell of amber at my charge. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The balsam, liquidambar. [ 1913 Webster ]

Black amber, and old and popular name for jet. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Consisting of amber; made of amber. “Amber bracelets.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Resembling amber, especially in color; amber-colored. “The amber morn.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ p. p. & p. a. Ambered . ] 1. To scent or flavor with ambergris; as, ambered wine. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To preserve in amber; as, an ambered fly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a genus of herbs of Mediterranean to Central Asia cultivated for their flowers.
Syn. -- genus Amberboa. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

(Zool.) Any of several amber to coppery fork-tailed warm-water carangid fishes of the genus Seriola, especially a large vigorous sport fish of the southern Atlantic coast (Seriola Dumerili). It is also called the amberjack. Seriola Carolinensis was the species name given in the 1890 Webster: same fish or different?
Syn. -- amberjack [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. See Ambergris. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

A room formerly in the Czar's Summer Palace in Russia, which was richly decorated with walls and fixtures made from amber. The amber was removed by occupying German troops during the Second World War and has, as of 1997, never been recovered. The room is being recreated from old photographs by Russian artisans. [ PJC ]

Seed of the Hibiscus abelmoschus, somewhat resembling millet, brought from Egypt and the West Indies, and having a flavor like that of musk; musk seed. Chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

A species of Anthospermum, a shrub with evergreen leaves, which, when bruised, emit a fragrant odor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. antichambre. ] 1. A chamber or apartment before the chief apartment and leading into it, in which persons wait for audience; an outer chamber. See Lobby. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A space viewed as the outer chamber or the entrance to an interior part. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mouth, the antechamber to the digestive canal. Todd & Bowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Obs. ] See Antechamber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. G. erzkämmerer. See Arch-, pref. ] A chief chamberlain; -- an officer of the old German empire, whose office was similar to that of the great chamberlain in England. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A chamber for a bed; an apartment form sleeping in. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lords of the bedchamber, eight officers of the royal household, all of noble families, who wait in turn a week each. [ Eng. ] --
Ladies of the bedchamber, eight ladies, all titled, holding a similar official position in the royal household, during the reign of a queen. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The nuptial apartment. Matt. ix. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of. cambre bent, curved; akin to F. cambrer to vault, to bend, fr. L. camerare to arch over, fr. camera vault, arch. See Chamber, and cf. Camerate. ] 1. (Shipbuilding) An upward convexity of a deck or other surface; as, she has a high camber (said of a vessel having an unusual convexity of deck). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Arch.) An upward concavity in the under side of a beam, girder, or lintel; also, a slight upward concavity in a straight arch. See Hogback. [ 1913 Webster ]

Camber arch (Arch.), an arch whose intrados, though apparently straight, has a slightly concave curve upward. --
Camber beam (Arch.), a beam whose under side has a concave curve upward. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cambered p. pr. & vb. n. Cambering. ] To cut bend to an upward curve; to construct, as a deck, with an upward curve. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To curve upward. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Naut.) Having the keel arched upwards, but not actually hogged; -- said of a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. chambre, fr. L. camera vault, arched roof, in LL. chamber, fr. Gr. &unr_; anything with a vaulted roof or arched covering; cf. Skr. kmar to be crooked. Cf. Camber, Camera, Comrade. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A retired room, esp. an upper room used for sleeping; a bedroom; as, the house had four chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. Apartments in a lodging house. “A bachelor's life in chambers.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A hall, as where a king gives audience, or a deliberative body or assembly meets; as, presence chamber; senate chamber. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A legislative or judicial body; an assembly; a society or association; as, the Chamber of Deputies; the Chamber of Commerce. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A compartment or cell; an inclosed space or cavity; as, the chamber of a canal lock; the chamber of a furnace; the chamber of the eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. pl. (Law.) A room or rooms where a lawyer transacts business; a room or rooms where a judge transacts such official business as may be done out of court. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A chamber pot. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Mil.) (a) That part of the bore of a piece of ordnance which holds the charge, esp. when of different diameter from the rest of the bore; -- formerly, in guns, made smaller than the bore, but now larger, esp. in breech-loading guns. (b) A cavity in a mine, usually of a cubical form, to contain the powder. (c) A short piece of ordnance or cannon, which stood on its breech, without any carriage, formerly used chiefly for rejoicings and theatrical cannonades. [ 1913 Webster ]

Air chamber. See Air chamber, in the Vocabulary. --
Chamber of commerce, a board or association to protect the interests of commerce, chosen from among the merchants and traders of a city. --
Chamber council, a secret council. Shak. --
Chamber counsel or
Chamber counselor, a counselor who gives his opinion in private, or at his chambers, but does not advocate causes in court. --
Chamber fellow, a chamber companion; a roommate; a chum. --
Chamber hangings, tapestry or hangings for a chamber. --
Chamber lye, urine. Shak. --
Chamber music, vocal or instrumental music adapted to performance in a chamber or small apartment or audience room, instead of a theater, concert hall, or church. --
Chamber practice (Law.), the practice of counselors at law, who give their opinions in private, but do not appear in court. --
To sit at chambers, to do business in chambers, as a judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Chambered p. pr. & vb. n. Chambering. ] 1. To reside in or occupy a chamber or chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be lascivious. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To shut up, as in a chamber. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To furnish with a chamber; as, to chamber a gun. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a chamber or chambers; as, a chambered shell; a chambered gun. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who attends in a chamber; a chambermaid. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A civilian; a carpetmonger. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Lewdness. [ Obs. ] Rom. xiii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. chamberlain, chambrelencF. chambellon, OHG. chamerling, chamarlinc, G. kämmerling, kammer chamber (fr. L. camera) + -ling. See Chamber, and -ling. ] [ Formerly written chamberlin. ] 1. An officer or servant who has charge of a chamber or chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An upper servant of an inn. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An officer having the direction and management of the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch; hence, in Europe, one of the high officers of a court. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A treasurer or receiver of public money; as, the chamberlain of London, of North Wales, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

The lord chamberlain of England, an officer of the crown, who waits upon the sovereign on the day of coronation, and provides requisites for the palace of Westminster, and for the House of Lords during the session of Parliament. Under him are the gentleman of the black rod and other officers. His office is distinct from that of the lord chamberlain of the Household, whose functions relate to the royal housekeeping. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Office of a chamberlain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A maidservant who has the care of chambers, making the beds, sweeping, cleaning the rooms, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A lady's maid. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. A red wine from Chambertin near Dijon, in Burgundy. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Clambered p. pr. & vb. n. Clambering. ] [ OE clambren, clameren, to heap together, climb; akin to Icel. klambra to clamp, G. klammern. Cf. Clamp, Climb. ] To climb with difficulty, or with hands and feet; -- also used figuratively. [ 1913 Webster ]

The narrow street that clambered toward the mill. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of clambering. T. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To ascend by climbing with difficulty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Clambering the walls to eye him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Mech.) (a) A space over, or in front of, a boiler furnace where the gases from the fire become more thoroughly mixed and burnt. (b) The clearance space in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine where the charge is compressed and ignited. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Music, broadcasting) A room with walls that resonate sound, producing audible echoes; it is used especially to create special sound effects in recording music. [ PJC ]

n. [ See Ambergris. ] Ambergris. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Inchambered p. pr. & vb. n. Inchambering. ] [ Pref. in- in + chamber: cf. OF. enchambrer. ] To lodge in a chamber. [ R. ] Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A small genus of Australian shrubs.
Syn. -- genus Lambertia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>n. [ So called from Lambert, an English botanist. ] (Bot.) The gigantic sugar pine of California and Oregon (Pinus Lambertiana). It has the leaves in fives, and cones a foot long. The timber is soft, and like that of the white pine of the Eastern States. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Liquidambar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. rame oar + barge barge. ] Formerly, a kind of large war galley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ So called (as conjectured by Blackstone) from being held in a room at the Exchequer where the chests containing certain Jewish contracts and obligations called starrs (from the Heb. shetar, pron. shtar) were kept; or from the stars with which the ceiling is supposed to have been decorated. ] 1. (Eng. Hist.) An ancient high court exercising jurisdiction in certain cases, mainly criminal, which sat without the intervention of a jury. It consisted of the king's council, or of the privy council only with the addition of certain judges. It could proceed on mere rumor or examine witnesses; it could apply torture. It was abolished by the Long Parliament in 1641. Encyc. Brit. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: (Metaphorical) Any court, committee, or other tribunal which exercises arbitrary and unaccountable power, or uses unfair or illegal methods, in investigation or judgment of persons. [ PJC ]