different between ambry vs amby

English

Alternative forms

• almery, aumbrie, aumbry, ambery

Etymology

From Middle English almerie, from Anglo-Norman almarie, aumer, etc., from Old French almarie, from Latin arm?rium. Doublet of armarium and armoire.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???m.b?i/

Noun

ambry (plural ambries)

1. (now historical, rare) A bookcase; a library or archive. [from 13^thc.]
2. (obsolete) A storehouse, especially a niche or recess in a wall used for storage.
3. (now rare) A pantry, or place to store food. [from 14^thc.]
4. (architecture) A cupboard or storage area in a church to hold books, communion vessels, vestments, etc.; an armarium. [from 16^thc.]
   • 1983, Dennis G. Michno, A Priest's Handbook, Morehouse 1998, p.75:

     Nothing else should be kept in the tabernacle or aumbry where the Sacrament is reserved, but a small container of water and a cloth may be kept on the shelf for cleansing one's fingers.

   • 2003, Wm. B. Eerdmans, translating Erwin Fahlbusch et al., The Encylopedia of Christianity, vol.III, p.321:

     Portions of the consecrated bread from the Eucharist were stored or reserved in an ambry or tabernacle to be taken to the sick.

Synonyms

• (armarium): armarium
• (cupboard): cupboard, pantry

Anagrams

• Byram, Mabry, barmy

English

Etymology

Shortening of ambidextrous +? -y, after the pattern of rightie and leftie.

Noun

amby (plural ambies)

1. (informal) An ambidextrous person.
   • 1999, Cliff Gromer (ed.), "Great Stuff", Popular Mechanics, August 1999:

     The slim design makes for easy one-hand opening for righties, lefties and ambies.

   • 2001, Rita Robinson, Discover Yourself Through Palm Reading, New Page Books (2001), ?ISBN, page 41:

     Medical scientists speculate that lefties and ambies exercise their brains more and grow more cells.

See also

• leftie
• rightie

Anagrams

• Byam