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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Amber \Am"ber\ ([a^]m"b[~e]r), noun [OE. aumbre, F. ambre, Sp. ['a]mbar, and with the Ar. article, al['a]mbar, 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.
Note: 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.
3. Ambergris. [Obs.]
You that smell of amber at my charge. --Beau. & Fl.
4. The balsam, liquidambar.
{Black amber}, and old and popular name for jet.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Amber \Am"ber\, adjective
1. Consisting of amber; made of amber. ''Amber bracelets.'' --Shak.
2. Resembling amber, especially in color; amber-colored. ''The amber morn.'' --Tennyson.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Amber \Am"ber\, verb (used with an object) [p. p. & p. a. {Ambered} .]
1. To scent or flavor with ambergris; as, ambered wine.
2. To preserve in amber; as, an ambered fly.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
amber
adjective: a medium to dark brownish yellow color [syn: {brownish-yellow}, {yellow-brown}]
noun
1: a deep yellow color; "an amber light illuminated the room"; "he admired the gold of her hair" [syn: {gold}]
2: a hard yellowish to brownish translucent fossil resin; used for jewelry
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
Amber
1. A {functional programming} language which adds {CSP}-like {concurrency}, {multiple inheritance} and {persistence} to {ML} and generalises its type system. It is similar to {Galileo}. Programs must be written in two type faces, roman and italics! It has both {static types} and {dynamic types}. There is an implementation for {Macintosh}. ["Amber", L. Cardelli, TR Bell Labs, 1984]. 2. An {object-oriented} distributed language based on a subset of {C++}, developed at {Washington University} in the late 1980s. (1994-12-08)
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Amber, OK (town, FIPS 1900) Location: 35.16142 N, 97.88051 W Population (1990): 418 (162 housing units) Area: 10.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 73004
From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:
Amber, OK -- U.S. town in Oklahoma Population (2000): 490 Housing Units (2000): 176 Land area (2000): 3.946590 sq. miles (10.221621 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 3.946590 sq. miles (10.221621 sq. km) FIPS code: 01900 Located within: Oklahoma (OK), FIPS 40 Location: 35.159613 N, 97.878766 W ZIP Codes (1990): 73004 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Amber, OK Amber
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Amber (Ezek. 1:4, 27; 8:2. Heb., hashmal, rendered by the LXX. elektron, and by the Vulgate electrum), a metal compounded of silver and gold. Some translate the word by "polished brass," others "fine brass," as in Rev. 1:15; 2:18. It was probably the mixture now called electrum. The word has no connection, however, with what is now called amber, which is a gummy substance, reckoned as belonging to the mineral kingdom though of vegetable origin, a fossil resin.
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