A waxy or oily substance found in sperm whale blubber, historically used in candles, cosmetics, and industrial applications.
Possibly related to 'ambergris' or directly from 'amber,' reflecting how precious whale-derived substances were grouped together in commercial and linguistic terminology during the whaling era.
The quest for ambrain drove the brutal whaling industry that inspired Moby Dick—whalers considered sperm whale blubber more valuable than the famous ambergris, and this obsession nearly drove whales to extinction before petroleum offered a better alternative.
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