kapok
/'keipɔk/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A plant fiber: A soft, light, fluffy, and buoyant fiber obtained from the seed pods of the kapok tree, used historically for stuffing mattresses, life preservers, and insulation due to its water-resistant and insulating properties.
- A tropical tree: A large, fast-growing tropical tree (Ceiba pentandra) of the mallow family, native to the Americas and Africa, which produces large seed pods filled with this silky fiber.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Fiber):
- The old life jacket was filled with kapok, a natural buoyant material.
- She prefers pillows stuffed with kapok rather than synthetic fibers.
- Noun (Tree):
- The towering kapok tree provided shade for the entire village square.
- Kapoks are often considered sacred trees in some tropical cultures.
Advanced Usage
- "Kapok fiber": The specific term for the raw material.
- Kapok fiber is difficult to spin into yarn but excellent for stuffing.
- "Kapok tree" / "Silk-cotton tree": Common names for the tree itself.
- The kapok tree, also known as the silk-cotton tree, can grow over 200 feet tall.
Variants and Related Words
- Ceiba: The genus name for the kapok tree.
- Silk-cotton: Another common name for the fiber or the tree.
- Seed floss: A descriptive term for the fiber.
Synonyms
- Plant fiber: A general category that includes kapok.
- Tree cotton: An informal synonym.
- Java cotton: Another regional name for kapok fiber.
Related Phrases
- Kapok stuffing: Refers to the material used as filling.
- The artisan used kapok stuffing for the handmade doll.
- Kapok pod: Refers to the fruit of the tree containing the fiber.
- Children collected the fallen kapok pods from the ground.
Related Idioms
(There are no common idioms specifically centered on the word "kapok.")
Noun
- massive tropical tree with deep ridges on its massive trunk and bearing large pods of seeds covered with silky floss; source of the silky kapok fiber
- a plant fiber from the kapok tree; used for stuffing and insulation