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-/, adjective

Dictionary.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 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 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), 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

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.