---
title: ambergris — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «ambergris» in the school dictionary: Ambergris is a waxy, grey substance made in the gut of sperm whales; it is sometimes found floating in the sea or washed up on beaches and was used in perfumes. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# ambergris

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** Ambergris, gut, People, smell, It, Most perfumes · **What happens:** be, make, find, float, wash up, use · **To what, where:** waxy grey substance, gut, sea, beaches, perfumes, ambergris

<!-- .vabout -->
«ambergris» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 7 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [ambergris in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ambergris.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ambergris is a waxy, grey substance made in the gut of sperm whales; it is sometimes found floating in the sea or washed up on beaches and was used in perfumes.

<!-- fold The tree, 31 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:m1:1
# text = Ambergris is a waxy, grey substance made in the gut of sperm whales; it is sometimes found floating in the sea or washed up on beaches and was used in perfumes.
1	Ambergris	Ambergris	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	7	nsubj	_	_
2	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	7	cop	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	waxy	waxy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	grey	grey	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	substance	substance	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
8	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	acl	_	_
9	in	in	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
10	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	11	det	_	_
11	gut	gut	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	obl	_	_
12	of	of	ADP	IN	_	14	case	_	_
13	sperm	sperm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	14	compound	_	_
14	whales	whale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
15	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	19	punct	_	_
16	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	19	nsubj:pass	_	_
17	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	19	aux:pass	_	_
18	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	19	advmod	_	_
19	found	find	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	7	parataxis	_	_
20	floating	float	VERB	VBG	VerbForm=Ger	19	xcomp	_	_
21	in	in	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
22	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	23	det	_	_
23	sea	sea	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	20	obl	_	_
24	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	25	cc	_	_
25	washed	wash	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	19	conj	_	_
26	up	up	ADP	RP	_	25	compound:prt	_	_
27	on	on	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
28	beaches	beach	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	25	obl	_	_
29	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	31	cc	_	_
30	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	31	aux:pass	_	_
31	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	19	conj	_	_
32	in	in	ADP	IN	_	33	case	_	_
33	perfumes	perfume	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	31	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
34	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	7	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | Ambergris | a waxy grey substance |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **make** | participle |  | a waxy grey substance *not said here* |  | the gut of sperm whales |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |
| 3 | **find** | present · passive |  | gut |  |  |  | sometimes *property* | vn declare-29.4-1-1 «NP V NP ADJ»: subject=Attribute clause=Theme |
| 4 | **float** | gerund | gut *not said here* |  |  | the sea |  |  | vn run-51.3.2-2 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in sea=Trajectory |
| 5 | **wash up** | participle |  |  |  | beaches |  |  | vn floss-41.2.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 6 | **use** | past · passive |  |  |  | perfumes |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V» |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ambergris comes from sperm whales.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x1:1
# text = Ambergris comes from sperm whales.
1	Ambergris	ambergris	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nsubj	_	_
2	comes	come	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	from	from	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
4	sperm	sperm	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	compound	_	_
5	whales	whale	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **come** | present | Ambergris |  |  |  |  | from sperm whales | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V PP.initial\_location»: agent=Theme from whale=Initial\_Location |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
People who find ambergris on the beach can sometimes sell it for lots of money.

<!-- fold The tree, 15 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x2:1
# text = People who find ambergris on the beach can sometimes sell it for lots of money.
1	People	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	nsubj	_	_
2	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	3	nsubj	_	_
3	find	find	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	1	acl:relcl	_	_
4	ambergris	ambergris	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
5	on	on	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	beach	beach	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
8	can	can	AUX	MD	VerbForm=Fin	10	aux	_	_
9	sometimes	sometimes	ADV	RB	PronType=Ind	10	advmod	_	_
10	sell	sell	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	0	root	_	_
11	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	obj	_	_
12	for	for	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	lots	lot	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	10	obl	_	_
14	of	of	ADP	IN	_	15	case	_	_
15	money	money	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	13	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
16	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	10	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | present | People | ambergris |  | the beach |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent ambergris=Topic |
| 2 | **sell** | can | People | ambergris |  |  |  | for lots of money; sometimes *property* | vn give-13.1-1 «NP V NP PP.asset»: agent=Agent it=Theme for lot=Asset |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Ambergris was used in perfume to make the smell last.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x3:1
# text = Ambergris was used in perfume to make the smell last.
1	Ambergris	Ambergris	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
2	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	aux:pass	_	_
3	used	use	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	0	root	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	5	case	_	_
5	perfume	perfume	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
6	to	to	PART	TO	_	7	mark	_	_
7	make	make	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	3	advcl	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	smell	smell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	obj	_	_
10	last	last	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | past · passive |  | Ambergris |  | perfume |  |  | vn eat-39.1 «NP V NP»: subject=Patient |
| 2 | **make** | to-infinitive |  | the smell |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **last** | infinitive | the smell *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn cost-54.2 «NP V NP.value»: agent=Theme |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
It has a sweet, earthy smell when old.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x4:1
# text = It has a sweet, earthy smell when old.
1	It	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	has	have	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
4	sweet	sweet	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
5	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	4	punct	_	_
6	earthy	earthy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	_
7	smell	smell	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obj	_	_
8	when	when	SCONJ	WRB	_	9	mark	_	_
9	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **have** | present | It | a sweet earthy smell |  |  |  |  | vn birth-28.2-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent smell=Patient |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Most perfumes now use man-made substitutes for ambergris.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x5:1
# text = Most perfumes now use man-made substitutes for ambergris.
1	Most	most	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	2	amod	_	_
2	perfumes	perfume	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	nsubj	_	_
3	now	now	ADV	RB	PronType=Dem	4	advmod	_	_
4	use	use	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
5	man	man	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	7	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	5	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	made	make	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	8	amod	_	_
8	substitutes	substitute	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	4	obj	_	_
9	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
10	ambergris	ambergris	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	8	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	4	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **use** | present | Most perfumes | made substitutes |  |  | now | for ambergris | vn use-105.1 «NP V NP PP.predicate»: agent=Agent substitute=Theme for ambergris=Eventuality |
| 2 | **make** | participle |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A lump of ambergris washed up on the shore.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x6:1
# text = A lump of ambergris washed up on the shore.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	lump	lump	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
3	of	of	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	ambergris	ambergris	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	washed	wash	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	acl	_	_
6	up	up	ADP	RP	_	5	compound:prt	_	_
7	on	on	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
9	shore	shore	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **wash up** | participle |  | a lump of ambergris *not said here* |  | the shore |  |  | vn floss-41.2.1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 7 {#x7}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
I found myself in a large, vaulted room, lighted by tapers, scented with aloes and ambergris, standing in golden candle-sticks, whilst gold and silver lamps hung from the ceiling.

<!-- fold The tree, 30 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:ambergris:x7:1
# text = I found myself in a large, vaulted room, lighted by tapers, scented with aloes and ambergris, standing in golden candle-sticks, whilst gold and silver lamps hung from the ceiling.
1	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	2	nsubj	_	_
2	found	find	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	myself	myself	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs|Reflex=Yes	2	obj	_	_
4	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	9	det	_	_
6	large	large	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	6	punct	_	_
8	vaulted	vaulted	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	room	room	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
11	lighted	light	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	9	acl	_	_
12	by	by	ADP	IN	_	13	case	_	_
13	tapers	taper	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	11	obl:agent	_	SpaceAfter=No
14	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	15	punct	_	_
15	scented	scent	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	13	acl	_	_
16	with	with	ADP	IN	_	17	case	_	_
17	aloes	aloe	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	15	obl	_	_
18	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
19	ambergris	ambergris	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
21	standing	stand	VERB	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	2	advcl	_	_
22	in	in	ADP	IN	_	26	case	_	_
23	golden	golden	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	26	amod	_	_
24	candle	candle	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	26	compound	_	SpaceAfter=No
25	-	-	PUNCT	HYPH	_	24	punct	_	SpaceAfter=No
26	sticks	stick	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	21	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
27	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	29	punct	_	_
28	whilst	whilst	SCONJ	IN	_	29	case	_	_
29	gold	gold	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	21	obl	_	_
30	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	32	cc	_	_
31	silver	silver	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	32	compound	_	_
32	lamps	lamp	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	29	conj	_	_
33	hung	hang	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	32	acl	_	_
34	from	from	ADP	IN	_	36	case	_	_
35	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	36	det	_	_
36	ceiling	ceiling	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	33	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
37	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **find** | past | I | myself |  | a large vaulted room |  |  | vn discover-84 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent myself=Topic |
| 2 | **light** | participle |  | a large vaulted room *not said here* |  |  |  |  | vn preparing-26.3-1 «NP V NP»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **scent** | participle |  | tapers *not said here* |  |  |  | with aloes and ambergris | vn butter-9.9 «NP V NP PP.theme»: agent=Agent with aloe=Theme |
| 4 | **stand** | gerund | I *not said here* |  |  | golden candle sticks |  | whilst gold and silver lamps | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Agent in stick=Location |
| 5 | **hang** | participle |  | silver lamps *not said here* |  | the ceiling |  |  | vn assuming\_position-50 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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