camphor
[ kam-fer ]
/ ˈkæm fər /
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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.
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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/, adjectivecam·phor·ic [kam-fawr-ik, -for-], /kæmˈfɔr ɪk, -ˈfɒr-/, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use camphor in a sentence
They have a camphoraceous odor and bitter, aromatic taste, reminding one of that of Aristolochia Serpentaria.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines|T. H. Pardo de TaveraBad specimens have a camphoraceous smell and a brownish colour, and lack the pungent taste.
The root is thick, branching and mucilaginous, and has a warm, bitter taste and a camphoraceous odour.
It has a very agreeable aromatic odor, somewhat like camphor, and the taste is described as warm, bitterish and camphoraceous.
Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants|A. R. (Arthur Robert) Harding
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 forms of camphor
camphoric (kæmˈfɒrɪk), adjectiveWord 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
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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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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