ambo

plural ambos · plural ambones

1. A raised platform in an early Christian church, as well as in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic churches.

   ‘It will get settled somehow,’ he thought, and went to the ambo. On going up the steps and turning to the right he saw the priest.

   1918 [1878], chapter 1, in Aylmer and Louise Maude, transl., Anna Karenina, Cambridge: Oxford University Press, translation of Анна Каренина (Anna Karenina) by Leo Tolstoy, →OCLC, part 5, page 4

   1 more example

   the Emperor arrived and instead of moving directly to his seat climbed to the top level of the ambo, the great three-decker pulpit of polychrome marble.

   1997, John Julius Norwich, A Short History of Byzantium, Penguin, published 1998, page 150

2. CatholicismA stationary podium used for readings and homilies.

   1 more example

   The dignity of the Word of God requires that in the church there be a suitable place from which it may be proclaimed and toward which the attention of the faithful naturally turns during the Liturgy of the Word. It is appropriate that generally this place be a stationary ambo and not simply a movable lectern.

   2010, General Instruction of the Roman Missal, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, published 2011, section #309

plural ambos

1. informalAn ambulance driver.
2. informalAn ambulance.

   Rawls: I don't want the fuckin' reporters seeing any ambos. Shit.

   2004 Dec. 19, David Simon & al., "Mission Accomplished", The Wire, Season 3, Episode 12, 00:31:54

plural ambos

1. slangAn ambassador.

   The Ambo needed a sizable embassy support staff to hold his hand at every step of the way, […]

   2022, Susan Gillerman Boggs, Journey Across Time: A Diplomatic Spouse in South Asia