Meaning & use
Amazon
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
The huge river in South America that carries more water than any other, and the rainforest around it.
Grammar: Often used with the: the Amazon.
Patterns
- the Amazon
- the Amazon River
- the Amazon rainforest
The Amazon flows through Brazil on its way to the Atlantic.
Scientists are studying how many new species live in the Amazon.
They took a boat trip along a branch of the Amazon.
proper nounproperbusiness
A very large American company that sells goods online and provides internet computing services.
Grammar: Used without the, and takes a singular verb: Amazon is expanding.
Patterns
- order from Amazon
- work for Amazon
I ordered the headphones from Amazon yesterday.
Amazon delivered the package in two days.
He found a job at Amazon after graduating.
nouncountableliterary
In Greek legend, a member of a tribe of fierce female warriors; also a tall, strong woman.
Grammar: Written with a capital letter in myth, and sometimes a lowercase a for a strong woman.
Patterns
- an Amazon warrior
The statue shows an Amazon with a bow and shield.
Greek heroes were said to have fought an Amazon queen.
The tennis star was called an amazon by the press for her power.
Word forms
| plural | Amazons |
|---|
Common combinations
- Amazon rainforest
- The Amazon rainforest produces a large share of the planet's oxygen.
- Amazon River
- The Amazon River is one of the longest in the world.
- Amazon basin
- The Amazon basin covers parts of nine countries.
- order on Amazon
- You can order almost anything on Amazon.
- Amazon warrior
- The vase shows an Amazon warrior on horseback.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rainforest
- Rainforest is a general term for any dense tropical forest, while the Amazon names one particular huge region.
- warrior woman
- Warrior woman is a plain description, while Amazon points to the Greek legend of a whole tribe.
Word family
- Amazonian adjective
- relating to the Amazon River or its region
- Amazonia proper noun
- the Amazon region of South America
Commonly confused: Amazon or Amazing?
Amazon vs Amazing
Amazing means wonderful and is a different word, though it shares the first letters.
Practice
In which sentence does Amazon refer to a figure from Greek mythology?
Choose one answer.
A statue of an Amazon with a spear shows a mythical female warrior. The other sentences refer to the company, the forest and the river.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Amazon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.