# What does Amazon mean to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612 "2010-06-10T02:40:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/21 "2010-06-10T17:57:19Z")
The forest and region, not just the river. But only a very little context is enough to peg it as any of the others. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/22 "2010-06-10T19:07:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Without the cap, a member of a mythological tribe of female warriors. Why uncapitalized? Wouldn’t an Amazon be capitalized like a Pict or a Goth? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/23 "2010-06-10T19:12:31Z")
Other. All of the above. With no context I would wonder which of the three things you listed was being talked about. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/24 "2010-06-10T19:17:53Z")
“amazon” - any Amazon-like woman. “Amazon” - the online bookstore. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/25 "2010-06-10T19:23:36Z")
I think rainforest. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/26 "2010-06-10T19:58:20Z")
Absent any other context: river/rainforest first, then online merchant, then female warrior. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/27 "2010-06-10T20:25:09Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Absent any other context: river/rainforest first, then online merchant, then female warrior. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/28 "2010-06-10T22:58:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > “Amazon” - the vendor. > “The Amazon” - the river. > “An Amazon” - a female warrior. > > It’a actually pretty simple. This, except I would add the definition of a large, strong woman, not limited to the warriors, to the last definition. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/29 "2010-06-10T23:35:29Z")
I first thought of the bookseller, then of the female warrior. It wasn’t until I saw the poll that I was reminded there was a river by that name. Voted ‘other’, but I’d probably say the bookseller if I had to choose one. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2010, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612/30 "2010-06-10T23:44:45Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > “amazon” - any Amazon-like woman. > “Amazon” - the online bookstore. Amazon originally came from Greek myths and is a word meaning “without breast”. The legend was that women warriors cut off one breast to make drawing a bow more effective. So lower case is just fine. The only documented case of effective and feared female warriors are those of the Fon tribe of Benin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-amazon-mean-to-you/542612.md?page=1)