vegetable silk
Noun: A type of natural, plant-derived fiber, specifically from the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), characterized by its silky, lightweight, and buoyant qualities. It is primarily used as a stuffing material for cushions, life preservers, and bedding, and for thermal and acoustic insulation.
This is a technical or commercial term for a specific material. It is used to describe the fiber itself or products containing it. * The old pillow was filled with vegetable silk, making it very soft and hypoallergenic. * Vegetable silk from the kapok tree is an excellent natural insulator.
The term can appear in historical or botanical contexts describing traditional materials. * Before synthetic foams, vegetable silk was the preferred stuffing for mattresses and life jackets due to its water resistance.
- Kapok: The more common name for both the tree and the fiber. "Vegetable silk" is a descriptive synonym.
- Silk cotton: Another synonym for kapok fiber.
- Plant fiber: A general category to which vegetable silk belongs.
Kapok, silk cotton.
"Vegetable silk" is not true silk (which comes from silkworms) but is so named for its soft, lustrous texture. It is a seed fiber, meaning it grows around the seeds of the kapok fruit to aid in wind dispersal.
- a plant fiber from the kapok tree; used for stuffing and insulation