anbar

Ambergris comes from French ambre gris (gray amber), but the root is Arabic عنبر (ʿanbar). It's a waxy substance from sperm whale intestines, found floating in the ocean or on beaches.

For centuries, ambergris was a mystery — fragrant lumps appearing on beaches, worth more than gold. It's used to make perfume scent last longer.

The Arabic word first meant both the whale product and fossilized tree resin (amber). French distinguished them as ambre gris (gray) and ambre jaune (yellow).

Now ambergris is mostly synthetic. Real ambergris remains incredibly rare and valuable.