Definition

1. Noun:
   • (Classical mythology) The food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal: In ancient Greek and Roman myths, "ambrosia" is the divine sustenance consumed by deities, granting them immortality. It is often paired with nectar, the drink of the gods.
   • A fruit dessert made of oranges and bananas with shredded coconut: In culinary contexts, "ambrosia" refers to a specific type of sweet salad or dessert, typically containing citrus fruits, bananas, coconut, and sometimes marshmallows or nuts.
   • Any of numerous chiefly North American weedy plants constituting the genus Ambrosia that produce highly allergenic pollen responsible for much hay fever and asthma: In botany, "ambrosia" is the common name for a genus of plants, commonly known as ragweeds, whose wind-borne pollen is a major cause of seasonal allergies.
   • A mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and fed to larvae: In beekeeping, "ambrosia" (also called "bee bread") is the fermented food stored in honeycomb cells and used to nourish young bees.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Mythology):
  • The gods feasted on ambrosia and nectar on Mount Olympus.
  • In the story, the hero was offered ambrosia to become immortal.
• Noun (Dessert):
  • For the potluck, she brought a classic ambrosia with oranges, pineapple, and coconut.
  • This ambrosia recipe is a family tradition during the holidays.
• Noun (Botany):
  • The high pollen count is due to the blooming of ambrosia, or ragweed.
  • My seasonal allergies always flare up when the ambrosia plants release their pollen.
• Noun (Beekeeping):
  • The worker bees store ambrosia in the comb to feed the developing larvae.

Advanced Usage

• "Ambrosial" (Adjective): Having the delightful taste or fragrance of ambrosia; divinely delicious or fragrant.
  • The chef prepared an ambrosial dish that delighted all the guests.
  • The garden was filled with the ambrosial scent of night-blooming jasmine.

Variants and Related Words

• Ragweed: The common name for plants of the genus , emphasizing their allergenic properties.
• Bee bread: An alternative term for the bee-prepared mixture of pollen and nectar.
• Nectar: Often mentioned alongside ambrosia in mythology as the drink of the gods; also, the sugary fluid produced by flowers.

Synonyms

• Noun (Mythology): Food of the gods, divine sustenance.
• Noun (Dessert): Fruit salad, fruit compote.
• Noun (Botany): Ragweed.
• Noun (Beekeeping): Bee bread, fermented pollen.

Related Phrases

• "Ambrosia of the gods": A phrase used to emphasize something as being exquisitely delicious or divine.
  • This chocolate cake is the ambrosia of the gods!

Related Idioms

• "Taste of ambrosia": Used to describe something that tastes extraordinarily good.
  • After the long hike, the cool spring water was a taste of ambrosia.

Noun

1. (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal
2. fruit dessert made of oranges and bananas with shredded coconut
3. any of numerous chiefly North American weedy plants constituting the genus Ambrosia that produce highly allergenic pollen responsible for much hay fever and asthma
4. a mixture of nectar and pollen prepared by worker bees and fed to larvae