kapok

[ key-pok ]

noun

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

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 calledsilk cotton

Word History and Origins

Origin of kapok¹

1740–50; < Javanese (or Malay of Java and Sumatra) kapuk the name of the tree

Word History and Origins

Origin of kapok¹

C18: from Malay

Example Sentences

A 230-foot kapok tree known as the Cotton Tree, a symbol of freedom at the center of Sierra Leone’s foundation story, was felled in a heavy storm.

From New York Times

The kapok tree stood in the middle of a roundabout in central Freetown near the national museum and the president's office.

From Reuters

Up to 12 kinds are being planted, from palms and tamarinds to kapoks and lemon trees - the varieties depend on the needs of the community and the terrain.

From BBC

Often, Dr. Sanz said, interactions occurred after a band of chimps located an exciting meal, such as a fruiting strangler fig or kapok.

From New York Times

The first time I saw a huge samaúma, also called a kapok, was in the Tapajós National Forest in northern Brazil.

From New York Times