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kapok
kapok , name for a tropical tree of the family Bombacaceae ( bombax family) and for the fiber (floss) obtained from the seeds in the ripened pods. The floss has been important in commerce since the 1890s; the chief source is Ceiba pentandra, the kapok (or silk-cotton) tree, cultivated in Java, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and other parts of East Asia and in Africa, where it was introduced from its native tropical America. The floss is removed by hand from the pods, dried, freed from seeds and dust, and baled for export. The lustrous, yellowish floss is light, fluffy, resilient, and resistant to water and decay. It is used as a stuffing, especially for life preservers, bedding, and upholstery, and for insulation against sound and heat. The seed kernels contain about 25% fatty oil used for soap or refined as edible oil. The residual cake is valuable as a fertilizer and as livestock fodder. Kapok is classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Malvales, family Bombacaceae. |
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"kapok." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kapok." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-kapok.html "kapok." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-kapok.html |
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kapok
ka·pok / ˈkāˌpäk/ • n. a fine, fibrous cottonlike substance that grows around the seeds of the ceiba tree, used as stuffing for cushions, soft toys, etc. ∎ (also kapok tree) another term for ceiba. |
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"kapok." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kapok." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-kapok.html "kapok." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-kapok.html |
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kapok
kapok Tropical tree with compound leaves and white or pink flowers. Its seed pods burst to release silky fibres, which are commonly used for stuffing and insulation. Height: to 50m (165ft). Family Bombacaceae; species Ceiba pentandra.
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"kapok." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kapok." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-kapok.html "kapok." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-kapok.html |
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kapok
kapok fine cotton wool from the seeds of a tree. XVIII (capoc). ult. — Malay kapok.
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T. F. HOAD. "kapok." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "kapok." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-kapok.html T. F. HOAD. "kapok." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-kapok.html |
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kapok
kapok See CEIBA.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "kapok." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "kapok." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-kapok.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "kapok." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-kapok.html |
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kapok
kapok •matchlock • padlock • armlock
•Belloc
•deadlock, headlock, wedlock
•hemlock • fetlock • airlock
•breeze block • gridlock • ziplock
•flintlock • Shylock
•forelock, oarlock, warlock
•roadblock • woodblock • sunblock
•gunlock • lovelock • firelock
•hammerlock • fetterlock • interlock
•Enoch • kapok • epoch • shamrock
•bedrock • pibroch • Sheetrock
•Ragnarök • bedsock • windsock
•shell shock • aftershock • fatstock
•Bartók
•deadstock, headstock
•penstock • tailstock • feedstock
•tick-tock • laughing stock • livestock
•nostoc, Rostock, Vladivostok, Vostok
•rootstock • Woodstock • bloodstock
•gunstock
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"kapok." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kapok." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-kapok.html "kapok." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-kapok.html |
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