camphor

[ kam-fer ]

/ ˈkæm fər /

noun Chemistry, 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.

Nearby words

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

Related formscam·phor·a·ceous

[kam-fuh-rey-shuh s] /ˌkæm fəˈreɪ ʃəs/, adjectivecam·phor·ic

[kam-fawr-ik, -for-] /kæmˈfɔr ɪk, -ˈfɒr-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for camphor

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|DAILY BEAST
Many of them smell strongly of camphor, which is sometimes extracted from them.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom|P. L. Simmonds
He told her how Annetta must have mistaken the bottle on his table for camphor, and how he had found her dead.
Casa Braccio, Volumes 1 and 2 (of 2)|F. Marion Crawford
When laying the foundations of a house, a cocoanut is broken, incense offered and camphor burnt.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India|Edgar Thurston

Dissolve a quarter of an ounce of camphor in half a pint of brandy.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,|Mary Eaton
But without a pillow or salts or camphor it was a luxury in which she did not dare to indulge, though she had a physician at hand.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Vol. 12, No. 32, November, 1873|Various

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

Derived Formscamphoric (kæmˈfɒrɪk), adjective

Word Origin for camphor

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

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

Word Origin and History for camphor

camphor

substance extensively used in medicine, early 14c., caumfre, from Old French camphre, from Medieval Latin camfora, from Arabic kafur, perhaps via Sanskrit karpuram, from Malay kapur "camphor tree." Related: Camphorated.

Medicine definitions for camphor

camphor

[ kăm′fər ]

n.

An aromatic crystalline compound obtained from the wood or leaves of the camphor tree or synthesized and used as an insect repellent and in external preparations to relieve mild pain and itching.

Science 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.