ambassy, embassy
(ˈæm-, ˈɛmbəsɪ)
[a. OFr. ambassée (ambaxée, embascée, enbasée), cogn. w. Pr. ambaissada, OSp. ambaxada, It. ambasciata:—L. *ambactiāta: see ambassade. In Fr. the native ambassée was afterwards superseded by ambaxade (15th c.), ambassade, ad. Sp. (see -ade), whence also our ambassade. (Ambassée, ambassy, is not:—L. ambactia, ambaxia, which gave OFr. ambasse, not adopted in Eng.) Commonly written embassy; Johnson considered the spelling ambassy quite obs.; see note under ambassador.]
1. The mission, function, or office of an ambassador.
| 1600 Holland Livy vii. xxx. 269/1 The people of Capua hath sent us in ambassie [legatos] unto you. 1664 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1875 II. 148 Having destinated him for this Ambassy. c 1690 Temple Pop. Discont. Wks. 1731 I. 264 During my Ambassies abroad. 1732 Berkeley Min. Philos. II. 38 The Son of God, upon an ambassy from Heaven. |
2. The message brought by an ambassador.
| 1606 Warner Alb. Eng. xiv. lxxxii. 342 None better aunswerd Ambasies in whatsoeuer tongue. 1738 Glover Leonidas vii. 128 Here, Persian, tell thy ambassy. |
3. A body of men sent as ambassadors; an ambassador and his suite or surroundings.
| 1732 T. Lediard Sethos II. vii. 25 He even thought of sending an ambassy to him. 1851 Helps Friends in C. I. 32 An Eastern man, one of the people attached to their ambassies. 1863 Kinglake Crimea (1876) I. viii. 116 In the case of Sovereigns and their ambassies. |
(β) [See more fully under embassy.]
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. (1623) i. i. 135 Here comes in Embassie the French king's daughter. 1742 Young Nt. Th. ii. 199 Sent On his important embassy to man. 1839 Keightley Hist. Eng. I. 447 A joint embassy was then sent to the King of Navarre to demand his neutrality. |