Camphor is a strong-smelling white substance used in various medicines, in mothballs, and in making plastics.
camphor in British English
(ˈkæmfə)
noun
a whitish crystalline aromatic terpene ketone obtained from the wood of the camphor tree or made from pinene: used in the manufacture of celluloid and in medicine as a liniment and treatment for colds. Formula: C10H16O
Derived forms
camphoric (kæmˈfɒrɪk)
adjective
Word origin
C15: from Old French camphre, from Medieval Latin camphora, from Arabic kāfūr, from Malay kāpūr chalk; related to Khmer kāpōr camphor
camphor in American English
(ˈkæmfər)
noun
1.
a volatile, crystalline ketone, C10H16O, with a strong characteristic odor, derived from the wood of the camphor tree or synthetically from pinene: used to protect fabrics from moths, in manufacturing cellulose plastics, and in medicine as an irritant and stimulant
2.
any of several derivatives of terpenes
Derived forms
camphoric (camˈphoric) (ˈkæmˈfɔrɪk)
adjective
Word origin
ME camfre < OFr camphre < ML camfora < Ar kāfūr < Sans karpuraḥ, camphor tree
Examples of 'camphor' in a sentence
camphor
And, in a small book with marbled paper, its tan leather cover cracked and smelling of camphor, I found in the index, `Siegwald".
Harris, Elizabeth TIME OF THE WOLF (2001)
A wave of sickly air struck her, smelling of camphor and dirt.
Clive Barker GALILEE (2001)
Outside, the camphor tree shivered under a new thrust of wind and the flowers shook beneath it.
an ointment consisting of camphor , white wax , spermaceti , and castor oil , used to treat skin ailments , esp chapped skin
camphor ball
→ mothball
camphor tree
a lauraceous evergreen E Asian tree, Cinnamomum camphora, whose aromatic wood yields camphor
camphor laurel
an Australian name for the camphor tree, now occurring in the wild in parts of Australia
anethole
a white water-soluble crystalline substance with a liquorice-like odour , used as a flavouring and a sensitizer in the processing of colour photographs . Formula: CH 3 CH:CHC 6 H 4 OCH 3
apiol
an aromatic compound derived from parsley seeds or oil, formerly used to treat menstrual disorders
mothball
A mothball is a small ball made of a special chemical, which you can put among clothes or blankets in order to keep moths away .