amazon
/ˈæm.əˌzɑn/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.55 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
name
A region including much of this river; specifically, the region of the Amazon Rainforest, or of the Amazon River Basin.
verb
To overwhelm or obliterate, in the context of an Internet start-up vastly outperforming its brick and mortar competition.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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."
- "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."
- "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)."
- "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."
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈæm.əˌzɑn/
- British English: /ˈæm.ə.zən/