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

campfire, campground, camphene, camphire, camphol, camphor, camphor ball, camphor ice, camphor laurel, camphor oil, camphor tree

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 forms

cam·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 camphoraceous

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 Tavera
Bad specimens have a camphoraceous smell and a brownish colour, and lack the pungent taste.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various
The root is thick, branching and mucilaginous, and has a warm, bitter taste and a camphoraceous odour.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2|Various
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 camphoraceous

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

camphoric (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

Medicine definitions for camphoraceous

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 camphoraceous

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.