embassy
/ˈɛmbəsi/ noun
Forms embassies ambassy
- noun The function or duty of an ambassador.
- noun An organization or group of officials who permanently represent a sovereign state in a second sovereign state or with respect to an international organization such as the United Nations. “The American embassy to France is located in Paris.”
- noun A temporary mission representing a sovereign state. “The Japanese embassy to the United States traveled to Washington, D.C., where it was received by James Buchanan, before continuing on to New York and then returning to Japan, making several stops on the way.”
- noun The official residence of such a group, or of an ambassador.
- noun (archaic) A written account as to an embassy.
Etymology
Modern variant of obsolete ambassy, from Middle French ambassee (“mission, embassy”), from Old French ambascee (also enbassee (“message for a high official, official mission”)) from Old Italian ambasciata, from Old Occitan ambaissada (“embassy”), derived from ambaissa (“message”), from Late Latin ambactia (“service rendered”) (attested also as ambascia, from Proto-Germanic *ambahtiją (“service”), *ambahtaz (“follower, servant”), from Gaulish ambaxtos (“dependant, vassal”, literally “one who is sent around”), from Proto-Celtic *ambaxtos (“servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi-h₂eǵ- (“drive around”); compare Latin ambactus, Old Irish amus, amsach (“mercenary, servant”), Welsh amaeth (“tenant farm”)). Doublet of ambassade.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The public function of an ambassador; the charge or business intrusted to an ambassador or to envoys; a public message to; foreign court concerning state affairs; hence, any solemn message.
- noun The person or persons sent as ambassadors or envoys; the ambassador and his suite; envoys.
Etymology [OF. ambassée, embascée, LL. ambasciata, fr. ambasciare for ambactiare to go on a mission, fr. L. ambactus vassal, dependent, of Celtic or German origin; cf. W. amaeth husbandman, Goth. andbahts servant, G. amt office, OHG. ambaht. Cf. Ambassador.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “embassy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details