kapok

[ key-pok ]

noun
  1. the silky down that invests the seeds of a silk-cotton tree (kapoktree ),Ceiba pentandra, of the East Indies, Africa, and tropical America: used for stuffing pillows, life jackets, etc., and for acoustical insulation.

Origin of kapok

1
1740–50; <Javanese (or Malay of Java and Sumatra) kapuk the name of the tree
  • Also called Java cotton.

Words Nearby kapok

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How to use kapok in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kapok

kapok

/ (ˈkeɪpɒk) /


noun
  1. a silky fibre obtained from the hairs covering the seeds of a tropical bombacaceous tree, Ceiba pentandra (kapok tree or silk-cotton tree): used for stuffing pillows, etc, and for sound insulation: Also called: silk cotton

Origin of kapok

1
C18: from Malay

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