kapok

Meaning

1. A silky fibre obtained from seed pods of the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) used for insulation and stuffing for mattresses, pillows, etc.
2. A silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra).
3. A cotton tree, Malabar silk-cotton tree, or red silk-cotton tree (Bombax ceiba).

Synonyms

silk cotton

vegetable silk

God tree

ceiba tree

Bombay ceiba

white silk-cotton tree

Ceiba pentandra

silk-cotton tree

kapok tree

bombax cotton

floss

Ceiba fibre

tinder

silk-cotton

tree cotton

mockmain

bombax pentandrum

eriodendron pentandrum

white silk cotton

vegetable down

Hyphenated as

ka‧pok

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkeɪpɒk/

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay kapuk (“silky fibre from the silk-cotton tree; Ceiba pentandra”).