silk-cotton

A woman fluffs a silk-cotton pillow on her bed.

Definition

Noun:
- Fibre from certain trees: "silk-cotton" refers to the soft, silky fibre obtained from the seed pods of trees of the genus Ceiba or Bombax, especially the kapok tree. This fibre is light, buoyant, and water-resistant, commonly used as a stuffing material for mattresses, pillows, and life jackets.

Usage Examples

• (Stuffing material from kapok fibres.)
• (Fibre used as a filling.)

Advanced Usage

• "silk-cotton tree": A common name for trees like Ceiba pentandra or Bombax ceiba that produce this fibre.

  • The silk-cotton tree in the park drops its pods every autumn. (The specific tree species.)

• "silk-cotton wool": A term sometimes used interchangeably with kapok fibre.

  • The craft project required silk-cotton wool for making soft toys. (Fibre material.)

Variants and Related Words

• Kapok (n): The more common name for the fibre obtained from the silk-cotton tree.

  • Kapok is often used in life jackets because it floats. (Synonym for silk-cotton.)

• Ceiba (n): The genus of trees that produce silk-cotton.

  • The ceiba tree is native to tropical regions. (Botanical classification.)

Synonyms

• Kapok: The fibre from the kapok tree.
• Vegetable down: A general term for plant-based fluffy fibres.

Related Idioms