amber
amber — noun
1. a hard see-through material, usually golden-brown, that comes from the sticky li
a hard see-through material, usually golden-brown, that comes from the sticky liquid of trees that lived millions of years ago; it is often polished and made into beads, rings, and other jewellery.
Marta wore a necklace of amber beads that her grandmother had brought from Lithuania.
noun + of amber for materials
Scientists found a tiny mosquito trapped inside a piece of amber from a Polish beach.
trapped inside / piece of amber
The museum showed a small lizard preserved in amber for nearly fifty million years.
Workers in the Gdańsk workshop polished the rough amber for hours until each stone shone like honey.
Because amber is softer than quartz or jade, jewellers in Vilnius shape it slowly with a fine cloth wheel.
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable when referring to the material itself; use 'a piece of amber' to make it countable. Frequently appears with 'in', 'inside', or 'preserved in' when describing things trapped within it.
常見錯誤
2. a warm shade between yellow and orange, similar to the colour of honey or a glas
a warm shade between yellow and orange, similar to the colour of honey or a glass of dark beer.
The setting sun turned the wheat fields a deep amber.
turn [thing] [colour]
The cat's eyes were the colour of amber, almost glowing in the firelight by the hearth.
the colour of amber as comparison
The whisky in the glass had a rich amber that the bartender was proud of.
Autumn paints the maple leaves in shades of red, gold, and amber.
用法筆記
Often paired with intensifiers like 'deep', 'rich', 'warm', or 'pale' to specify the shade. Distinguish from sense 1 (the material): here, amber names the colour itself, not the substance.
3. the orange-yellow signal on a traffic light that comes on between green and red,
the orange-yellow signal on a traffic light that comes on between green and red, telling drivers to slow down because the lights will soon change.
The light turned amber, so Daniel braked gently before the crossing.
turn amber
In Britain, drivers must stop at the amber unless their car has already crossed the white line at the junction.
stop at the amber (British use)
The taxi sped through the amber just as it switched to red.
When the lights showed amber, the driving instructor told Priya to ease off the accelerator and stop before the line.
- yellow
the standard American word for the same traffic signal
用法筆記
Mainly British and Australian; American English usually says 'yellow' for the same signal. Often appears in the fixed pattern 'turn / go amber' and in 'jump the amber' (drive through as it changes).
常見錯誤
amber — adjective
1. having a warm yellow-orange or yellow-brown shade, often used to describe eyes,
having a warm yellow-orange or yellow-brown shade, often used to describe eyes, light, drinks, or fields lit by a low sun.
Lena's amber eyes caught the candlelight at the dinner table.
amber + body part (eyes)
The kitchen glowed in the amber light of the early evening.
amber light (typical collocation)
Marco poured a glass of amber whisky and handed it to his uncle.
The hills behind the farmhouse looked amber in October.
- honey-coloured
softer, lighter; suggests a creamier shade
- tawny
more brown, often used of animal coats and aged drinks
文法句型
amber + noun
be + amber
用法筆記
Used both before a noun ('amber eyes') and after a linking verb ('the field looked amber'). Common collocates are warm sources of colour: light, eyes, glow, fields, whisky, honey.
2. made from the fossil resin amber, or having amber set into it; used of jewellery
made from the fossil resin amber, or having amber set into it; used of jewellery and small ornaments.
Grandma kept her amber brooch in a velvet box on the dresser.
amber + jewellery noun
The Warsaw museum displayed an amber pendant that a Roman craftsman had carved into the shape of a dolphin.
amber pendant / brooch
Kofi inherited a pair of amber earrings from his great-aunt in Gdańsk.
Tourists in Vilnius queued for an amber ring at the craft market.
文法句型
amber + noun
用法筆記
Almost always attributive (directly before the noun); you say 'an amber ring', not 'the ring is amber' (that would shift to sense 1, the colour). Distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the object is literally made of the resin.