amazon

Pronunciation pronunciation key
amăzon

Definition 
A large, robust, or aggressive woman. The Amazons were, according to Greek mythology, a race of warrior women who inhabited Scythia, on the shores of the Black Sea. They were called Amazons (meaning "without breast") because of their practice of removing the right breasts in order to facilitate the drawing of a bow. They only consorted with men for the purpose of procreation. Led by their queen, Hippolyta, they were renowned for their fierceness in battle. The Amazon River in South America is said to have been so called by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana, who reported seeing female warriors in the region in 1541. In 1997 the discovery in southern Russia of ancient graves of what appeared to be female warriors suggested a possible source of the legend of the Amazons. In modern usage, anyone with a clean-shaven face may be said to have an Amazonian chin. I didn't offer to break down the door, since if the door needed breaking down this amazon looked quite capable of doing the job herself.