sandalwood

American  

[san-dl-wood] / ˈsæn dlˌwʊd /

noun

sandalwoods plural

1. the fragrant heartwood of any of certain Asian trees of the genus Santalum, used for ornamental carving and burned as incense.

2. any of these trees, especially S. album white sandalwood, an evergreen of India, having ovate leaves and yellowish flowers that turn red.

3. any of various related or similar trees or their woods, especially an East Indian tree, Pterocarpus santalinus red sandalwood, of the legume family, or its heavy dark-red wood that yields a dye.

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sandalwood British  

/ ˈsændəlˌwʊd /

noun

1. any of several evergreen hemiparasitic trees of the genus Santalum, esp S. album ( white sandalwood ), of S Asia and Australia, having hard light-coloured heartwood: family Santalaceae

2. the wood of any of these trees, which is used for carving, is burned as incense, and yields an aromatic oil used in perfumery

3. any of various similar trees or their wood, esp Pterocarpus santalinus ( red sandalwood ), a leguminous tree of SE Asia having dark red wood used as a dye

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sandalwoods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sandalwood

First recorded in 1505–15; sandal ² + wood ¹

Example Sentences

“As a lover of sweet smells, I really enjoyed this cocoa-inspired scent. The cedar and sandalwood notes were stronger at the end and gave nice, beachy vibes.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The Aire Sutileza Elixir is floral, fresh and earthy, featuring notes of pear, lemon, jasmine sambac, vetiver, sandalwood and musk.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Great British Chefs specified that tonka’s “most distinctive feature” is their “enormous potency — heady vanilla flavours, with oily clove aromas, and perfumed magnolia, sandalwood notes.”

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

The magazine was started in 1964 by Pestonji Warden, a Parsi doctor who also dabbled in the sandalwood trade, to chronicle the community in the city.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

“My face will never be painted with sandalwood paste. Who will rub me with turmeric? My name will never be printed with scarlet ink on a card.”

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri