Amazon
nounproper nounnounproper nounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈæm.ə.zən//
- United Kingdom//ˈæm.ə.zɒn//
- Canada//ˈæm.əˌzɑn//
- Canada/[ˈɛəm.əˌzɑn]/
A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area.
noun
- 1
A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area.
When, therefore, one envisions a matriarchy, one should not conjure up visions of a gang of Amazons lopping off breasts and testicles to rule by force of arms.
- 2
A female warrior.
In some parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, amazon cultures still existed during the Middle Ages, such as that ruled by Queen Nzingha in Angola, who led her amazon army against the Portuguese in a series of wars during the first half of the seventeenth century. In Dahomey also in traditionally gynarchal West Africa, the army was made up of amazons even through the nineteenth century.
- 3
A tall, strong, or athletic woman.
Etymology
From Middle English, from Latin, from Ancient Greek Ἀμαζών (Amazṓn); perhaps Ionian Greek pronunciation of Old Persian *hamazan- (“warrior”), as the Amazon women were known warriors. A popular folk etymology, of Ancient Greek provenance, claims that the word derives from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μαζός (mazós, “breast”), referencing the belief that Amazons cut off their right breast so that it would not hinder their ability to fire a bow or throw a spear.
proper noun
- 1
A river in South America, that flows through Brazil for about 4000 miles to the Atlantic.
- 2
A region including much of this river; specifically, the region of the Amazon Rainforest, or of the Amazon River Basin.
Amazon milk frog
In February, a young man from an isolated Indigenous tribe in Brazil made brief contact with the outside world before returning to the Amazon rainforest.
Etymology
From Spanish Río Amazonas. It is common belief that the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana fought a battle against a tribe of Tapuya natives, in which the women fought alongside the men, and that he derived the name from the Amazons in Greek mythology.
noun
- 1
Any of the large parrots from the genus Amazona.
proper noun
- 1
Amazon.com Inc., a very large Internet retailer.
Google is one of several Big Tech firms that has made an aggressive push into gaming in recent years, along with Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB).
Etymology
Chosen by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as a word beginning with 'A' which had existing connotations (see meanings listed in etymologies 1 & 2) of being exotic, different, and (as the Amazon River) the largest of its kind in the world.
verb
- 1
To overwhelm or obliterate, in the context of an Internet start-up vastly outperforming its brick and mortar competition.
Those who hesitate risk being "amazoned," forfeiting business to an Internet newcomer, in the way that bookstore chains have lost ground to Amazon.com Inc., the online bookseller.
Venture capitalists' desks are thick with business plans promising ‘we're going to Amazon the insurance/travel/property business...’
Take the example of MetalSite.com, which is owned by steel companies. The steel companies aren't getting "Amazoned" by a start-up but, rather, they are doing the "Amazoning" within their own industry.
Amazon.com may soon be "amazoning" a few more industries.
- 2
To order (something) on Amazon.
[…] “There are people who Uber everywhere, who Seamless everything, who Amazon everything, and render their lives completely smooth.”
Forms
- plural
- Amazons
- past tense
- Amazoned
- past participle
- Amazoned
- present participle
- Amazoning
- third person singular
- Amazons
Amazon · A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area.
ambassador · A diplomat of the highest rank sent to a foreign court to…amber · A hard, generally yellow to brown translucent or transparent…Amber · A female given name from English, popular in the 1980s and…