Amberiferous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /æmbəˈɹɪfəɹəs/

Definitions

1. Having the capacity to generate or hold amber as a substance
2. Pertaining to geological formations where amber can be found or extracted
3. Containing amber or capable of producing it naturally in some form ; connected with rocks or locations known for amber deposits

Etymology: "Amberiferous" is built from two parts: "amber," the hardened fossil tree resin prized since antiquity, and "-iferous," from Latin "ferre," meaning "to bear or carry." Put together, the word simply means "bearing amber," and it describes rock layers, soils or coastlines where the golden resin is found. The suffix is the more revealing part. "-iferous" appears in many scientific and descriptive words, such as "coniferous" (cone-bearing) and "auriferous" (gold-bearing), so anyone who knows those words can read "amberiferous" at a glance. The pattern is an ordinary Latin-derived formation, allowing English writers to attach "bearing" to any substance they wish to describe.

Synonyms: amber-bearing