عَنْبَرٌ

[Ambergris;] a certain odoriferous substance, (S, O, Msb, K,) well known; (O, Msb;) an excrement found in the belly of a certain great fish, [the spermaceti-whale,] which is called by the same name; (Towsheeh, TA;) or an excrement of a certain marine beast; (K;) or, according to Ks, a vegetable [substance found] in the bottom of the sea and driven by the waves to the shores thereof, whence it is taken; (O;) or, (O, K,) as the physicians say, (O,) it issues from a source in the sea; (O, * K;) [and there are other opinions respecting its origin, mentioned in the TA; but these I do not add, as it is well known to be an excrement of the spermaceti-whale;] the best kind is the white, and the whitish; next, the blue [or gray]; and the worst, the black: (TA:) the word is masculine and feminine, (AA, IAmb, O, Msb,) like مِسْكٌ: (IAmb, TA voce ذَكِىٌّ:) MF says that most hold the ن to be augmentative, the measure being فَنْعَلٌ, as it is said to be in the Msb. (TA.)

[As mentioned above, it signifies also The spermaceti-whale;] a certain great fish; (Msb in article عبر;) a certain marine fish, (Az, O, K,) the length of which reaches to fifty cubits, called in Pers. Pاله [apparently a mistranscription for وَالْ: see بَالٌ]: (Az, TA:) shields are made of its skin; (Mgh, O, TA;) and the people of Juddeh have sandals, or shoes, made thereof. (O, TA.)

And hence, (O,) A shield (S, O, K) made of the skin of the fish above-mentioned: (O, K:) and some say, coats of defence (دُرُوع). (O.)

-A2- Also Saffron. (K.)

And (as some say, TA) [The plant called] وَرْس. (K.)

[Accord. to Forskål (Flora Aegypt. Arab. p. lxiv.) now applied to Gomphrena globosa.]

-A3- See also the next paragraph, in two places.