kapok

American  

[key-pok] / ˈkeɪ pɒk /

noun

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

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kapok British  

/ ˈkeɪpɒk /

noun

1. Also called: silk cotton.  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

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Etymology

Origin of kapok

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

Example Sentences

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

From Reuters • May 25, 2023

As we ventured further into Casamance by dug-out canoe, itself built from a single piece of wood hewn from the roots of a kapok tree, the true value of the project was brought into focus.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2022

Perhaps the most eloquent examples are a roomful of coiled sculptures made from women’s mesh tights stuffed with kapok.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2019

Star-shaped trunks of Ceiba petandra, or kapok trees, stretch up and tower over the islands.

From The Guardian • Nov. 6, 2018

Thirty feet above them dangles the red fruit of tall kapok trees, each scarlet bulb reflected perfectly in the still water.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann