sandalwood

American  

[san-dl-wood] / ˈsæn dlˌwʊd /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of sandalwood

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

Example Sentences

To make my own, I alchemized a potpourri of sandalwood, hinoki wood, palo santo, mint, patchouli and tachibana orange.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 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

Few parents would describe the smells emanating from their adolescent children as redolent of sandalwood.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2024

When the Americans started trading with China in the late 18th century, they started with furs and later sandalwood, but soon they just couldn’t find enough stuff to sell to China.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2024

We ate quickly and then wandered by a perfume stall that smelled deliciously of sandalwood.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan