Ambrosia literally means "immortality" in Greek; it is derived from the Greek word ambrotos ("immortal"), which combines the prefix a- (meaning "not") with mbrotos ("mortal"). In Greek and Roman mythology, only the immortals-gods and goddesses-could eat ambrosia. Those mythological gods and goddesses also drank nectar, the original sense of which refers to the "drink of the gods." Nectar (in Greek, nektar) may have implied immortality as well; nektar is believed to have carried the literal meaning "overcoming death." While the ambrosia of the gods implied immortality, we mere mortals use ambrosia in reference to things that just taste or smell especially delicious. Similarly, nectar can now simply mean "something delicious to drink."
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebHer preparations include cleansing and perfuming herself with divinely fragrant ambrosia as well as borrowing a magical, lust-inducing belt from Aphrodite. Britta Ager, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2021 The long pavilion tables at College Mound United Methodist Church, seven miles southeast of Terrell in Kaufman County, won’t be piled with fried chicken, black-eyed peas, green bean casseroles or ambrosia salads. Marc Ramirez, Dallas News, 25 Apr. 2020 Ambrosia Panna Cotta with Pineapple Citrus Relish, Toasted Coconut and PecansMcCook created this recipe to revisit memories of her grandmother’s ambrosia, a Southern specialty. Allie Morris, Dallas News, 18 Feb. 2020 The menu features bratwurst with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, pickled beets and ambrosia.San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2019 And when the citizens of Thebes asked Hercules to prove his strength by helping with affordable housing, the 1,800 or so citizens at the Delacorte lapped it up like ambrosia. Jesse Green, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2019 Culprit’s boysenberry marshmallow ambrosia is one to try, as is Orphan’s Kitchen’s avocado bombe Alaska, served with lime and Kahikatea peppercorn, (a native pine). Amy Louise Bailey, Vogue, 25 July 2018 Items like ambrosia, bombe Alaska, pavlova, and banana split sundaes have made a bold return with a contemporary spin. Amy Louise Bailey, Vogue, 25 July 2018 The coral-hued ambrosia was her tactic for getting me to recite the alphabet and my numbers. Liz Rubin, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 May 2018 See More
Word History
Etymology
Latin, from Greek, literally, immortality, from ambrotos immortal, from a- + -mbrotos (akin to brotos mortal) — more at murder