Hypertext Webster Gateway: "ambrosia"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ambrosia \Am*bro"sia\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
The food of certain small bark beetles, family {Scolytid[ae]}
believed to be fungi cultivated by the beetles in their
burrows.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ambrosia \Am*bro"sia\ (?; 277), n. [L. ambrosia, Gr. ?, properly
fem. of ?, fr. ? immortal, divine; 'a priv. + ? mortal
(because it was supposed to confer immortality on those who
partook of it). ? stands for ?, akin to Skr. mrita, L.
mortuus, dead, and to E. mortal.]
1. (Myth.)
(a) The fabled food of the gods (as nectar was their
drink), which conferred immortality upon those who
partook of it.
(b) An unguent of the gods.
His dewy locks distilled ambrosia. --Milton.
2. A perfumed unguent, salve, or draught; something very
pleasing to the taste or smell. --Spenser.
3. Formerly, a kind of fragrant plant; now (Bot.), a genus of
plants, including some coarse and worthless weeds, called
ragweed, hogweed, etc.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
ambrosia
n 1: a mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and
fed to larvae [syn: {beebread}]
2: any of numerous chiefly North American weedy plants
constituting the genus Ambrosia that produce highly
allergenic pollen responsible for much hay fever and
asthma [syn: {ragweed}, {bitterweed}]
3: fruit dessert made of oranges and bananas with shredded
coconut
4: (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods;
mortals who ate it became immortal [syn: {nectar}]
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