camphor

[ kam-fer ]

nounChemistry, Pharmacology.

a whitish, translucent, crystalline, pleasant-odored terpene ketone, C10H16O, obtained from the camphor tree, used chiefly in the manufacture of celluloid and in medicine as a counter-irritant for infections and in the treatment of pain and itching.
any substance having medicinal or aromatic characteristics similar to those of camphor.

Origin of camphor

1275–1325; <Medieval Latin, New Latin camphora ≪ Arabic kāfūr<Malay kapur chalk, lime, camphor; replacing Middle English caumfre<Anglo-French <Medieval Latin

Other words from camphor

cam·phor·a·ceous [kam-fuh-rey-shuhs], /ˌkæm fəˈreɪ ʃəs/, adjective
cam·phor·ic [kam-fawr-ik, -for-], /kæmˈfɔr ɪk, -ˈfɒr-/, adjective

Words Nearby camphor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use camphor in a sentence

Imperial Kitchen, a restaurant in Hong Kong, makes my favorite version: smoked Peking duck with camphor wood spices.
Fresh Picks | Susur Lee | December 8, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Furs should be kept in a box, alone, and in summer carefully packed, with a quantity of lump camphor to protect from moths.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence Hartley
In this case, never leave home without a straw-covered bottle of brandy, and another of camphor, in your carpet-bag.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence Hartley
The window-curtains were presumably packed in camphor, and the dim panes suggested a cobwebbed and desolate interior.
Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
The camphor tree grows very well here, but I do not know if the gum has ever been collected.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil | Maria Graham

The camphor tree overhead was thrown out darkly against the stars, like its own shadow.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa

British Dictionary definitions for camphor

camphor

/ (ˈkæmfə) /

noun

a whitish crystalline aromatic terpene ketone obtained from the wood of the camphor tree or made from pinene: used in the manufacture of celluloid and in medicine as a liniment and treatment for colds. Formula: C 10 H 16 O

Origin of camphor

C15: from Old French camphre, from Medieval Latin camphora, from Arabic kāfūr, from Malay kāpūr chalk; related to Khmer kāpōr camphor

Derived forms of camphor

camphoric (kæmˈfɒrɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for camphor

camphor

[ kăm′fər ]

A white, gumlike, crystalline compound that has a strong odor. Camphor is volatile and is used as an insect repellent and in making plastics and explosives. Chemical formula: C10H16O.

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