n. [ L. ambrosia, Gr. 'ambrosi`a, properly fem. of 'ambro`sios, fr. 'a`mbrotos immortal, divine; 'a priv. + broto`s mortal (because it was supposed to confer immortality on those who partook of it). broto`s stands for mroto`s, akin to Skr. m&rsdot_;ita, L. mortuus, dead, and to E. mortal. ] 1. (Myth.) (a) The fabled food of the gods (as nectar was their drink), which conferred immortality upon those who partook of it. (b) An unguent of the gods. [ 1913 Webster ]

His dewy locks distilled ambrosia. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A perfumed unguent, salve, or draught; something very pleasing to the taste or smell. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Formerly, a kind of fragrant plant; now (Bot.), a genus of plants, including some coarse and worthless weeds, called ragweed, hogweed, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) The food of certain small bark beetles, family Scolytidae believed to be fungi cultivated by the beetles in their burrows. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

5. A dessert made from shredded coconuts and oranges, sometimes including other ingredients such as marshmallow. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Zool.) A bark beetle that makes and feeds on ambrosia{ 4 }. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

a. [ L. ambrosiacus: cf. F. ambrosiaque. ] Having the qualities of ambrosia; delicious. [ R. ]“Ambrosiac odors.” B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. 1. 1 in some classifications considered a separate family comprising a subgroup of the Compositae including the ragweeds.
Syn. -- family Ambrosiaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. ambrosius, Gr. 'ambro`sios. ] 1. Consisting of, or partaking of the nature of, ambrosia; delighting the taste or smell; delicious. “Ambrosial food.” “Ambrosial fragrance.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Divinely excellent or beautiful. “Shakes his ambrosial curls.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. After the manner of ambrosia; delightfully. “Smelt ambrosially.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Ambrosial. [ R. ] . Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to St. Ambrose; as, the Ambrosian office, or ritual, a formula of worship in the church of Milan, instituted by St. Ambrose. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ambrosian chant, the mode of signing or chanting introduced by St. Ambrose in the 4th century. [ 1913 Webster ]