What does "amazon" mean?
A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area.
Amazon
/ˈæm.ə.zən/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area.
- Grammar: amazon is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: amazon basin, amazon rainforest, amazonia, androgyne.
- Useful contrasts: brick and mortar retailer, male warrior, man.
- Usage evidence: The Amazon is the second longest river in the world after the Nile.
How to use "amazon"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "amazon" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "amazon" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "amazon" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "amazon" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "amazon" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "amazon basin" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "amazon", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area. Greek
"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 Any of the large parrots from the genus Amazona.
- 3 A tall, strong, athletic woman.
"Although the evidence for real Amazons is thin, women athletes are often dubbed amazons."
- 4 mainly green tropical American parrots wordnet
- 5 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."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A fairy chess piece which combines the moves of the queen and the knight.
"In Triple-guard promotion chess (GPJ) a pawn newly triple-guarded by pieces other than pawns promotes to the combined value of the guarding pieces. Thus after b3 in the opening position a3 promotes to amazon, R+B+N, from triple guard by Ra1, Nb1, Bc1."
- 7 (Greek mythology) one of a nation of women warriors of Scythia (who burned off the right breast in order to use a bow and arrow more effectively) wordnet
- 8 A tall, strong, or athletic woman.
- 9 An amazon parrot.
- 10 a large strong and aggressive woman wordnet
- 11 A position for vaginal sex in which the insertive partner lies on their back with their knees pulled back, and the receptive partner, facing the other person, squats onto the penis.
Verb
- 1 To overwhelm or obliterate, in the context of an Internet start-up vastly outperforming its brick and mortar competition. transitive
"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."
- 2 To order (something) on Amazon. transitive
"[…] “There are people who Uber everywhere, who Seamless everything, who Amazon everything, and render their lives completely smooth.”"
Proper Noun
- 1 A river in South America, that flows through Brazil for about 4000 miles to the Atlantic. attributive, sometimes
- 2 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)."
- 3 A region including much of this river; specifically, the region of the Amazon Rainforest, or of the Amazon River Basin. attributive, sometimes
"Amazon milk frog"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The Amazon is the second longest river in the world after the Nile."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "amazon"?
Common synonyms include: amazon basin, amazon rainforest, amazonia, androgyne, brave, butch.
How do you use "amazon" in a sentence?
The Amazon is the second longest river in the world after the Nile.
How do you pronounce "amazon"?
Pronounced /ˈæm.ə.zən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
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.
Etymology 3
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.
Etymology 4
From Amazon, from Ancient Greek Ἀμαζών (Amazṓn).