any of various resins obtained from SE Asian trees, esp of the genera Agathis (conifers) and Shorea (family Dipterocarpaceae): used for varnishes, lacquers, bases for oil paints, etc
Word origin
C17: from Malay damar resin
dammar in American English
(ˈdæmər) or ˈdammer (ˈdæmər)
noun
1.
any of various resins from evergreen trees (genus Agathis) of Australia, New Zealand, and East Indies, used in making varnish, lacquers, etc.
2.
any of various natural resins from trees (esp. genera Shorea and Balanocarpus) native to SE Asia and the East Indies, used in varnishes and paints requiring high resistance to wear