dammar

American  

[dam-ahr, -er, duh-mahr] / ˈdæm ɑr, -ər, dəˈmɑr /

Or damar,

noun

1. Also called gum dammar.  a copallike resin derived largely from dipterocarpaceous trees of southern Asia, especially Malaya and Sumatra, and used chiefly for making colorless varnish.

2. any of various similar resins from trees of other families.

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dammar British  

/ ˈdæmə /

noun

1. any of various resins obtained from SE Asian trees, esp of the genera Agathis (conifers) and Shorea (family Dipterocarpaceae ): used for varnishes, lacquers, bases for oil paints, etc

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Etymology

Origin of dammar

First recorded in 1690–1700, dammar is from the Malay word damar

Example Sentences

Most intriguingly, the scientists found dammar resin, which comes from a family of trees that grows in forests in India and Southeast Asia.

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2023

The researchers also identified more exotic ingredients, including dammar and elemi, resins extracted from hardwoods native to Southeast Asian rainforests thousands of kilometers from ancient Egypt.

From Science Magazine • Feb. 1, 2023

Some of the substances came from very far away — like dammar and elemi, types of resin that come from the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 1, 2023

But Smith said he was not fully convinced of the dammar result, which was found on only one sample and is the only ingredient that required a trade route to Asia.

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2023

The torches were growing dim, and if not soon replenished with fresh dammar, they would both be out; but no one stirred to touch them.

From Middy and Ensign by Rowlandson, G. D.