camphor tree

noun

: a large Asian evergreen tree (Camphora officinarum) of the laurel family grown in warm regions

Examples of camphor tree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Common culprits are menthol (a substance found in mint plants), camphor (a waxy substance from the camphor tree), benzocaine (commonly used as a pain reliever and often found in cough medicine) and beeswax. Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 2 Feb. 2024 Advertisement Basically, Solberg said, except for the creeping fig lacing the chimney and the giant camphor tree on the parkway in front, any plants in the ground of their new landscape are California native plants; others, like his succulents and dwarf lemon, are planted in pots. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024 The area’s extraordinary natural features, which also include a sprawling 1,500-year-old camphor tree, the largest in Japan, have famously inspired art of equal beauty. Mihoko Iida Josh Robenstone Richard Pedaline, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Takashi Kobayashi asks, 30 feet or so up a camphor tree growing in the cramped back lot of a shop in Tokyo. Tom Vanderbilt Josh Robenstone, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Hsien-Seng also developed a technique for extracting oil from a camphor tree, a substance that has been used to make topical painkillers, cleaners and perfumes. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2023 Hyatt mixed this collodion with camphor (derived from the camphor tree) and found that the product was strong yet moldable. Matt Simon, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2022 Now Rojas prayed with Martinez’s mother and father, standing beneath the interlaced branches of a camphor tree. Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Nov. 2020 The dusk gave way to night when the cab driver dropped me off under our big camphor trees. Jiwei Xiao, The New York Review of Books, 6 Apr. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of camphor tree was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near camphor tree

Cite this Entry

“Camphor tree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/camphor%20tree. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

camphor tree

noun
: a large Asian evergreen tree that is related to the laurels and is the source of camphor

Medical Definition

camphor tree

noun
: a large Asian evergreen tree of the genus Cinnamomum (C. camphora) that is grown in warm areas and has smooth branches and shining lanceolate leaves and from which camphor is obtained
Last Updated: - Definition revised
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