Etymology

kapok

ka·pok
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Today it means: A silky fibre obtained from seed pods of the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) used for insulation and stuffing for mattresses, pillows, etc. Full definition →

Malay kapuk
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The story

  1. Malay · borrowed fromkapuk“silky fibre from the silk-cotton tree; Ceiba pentandra”
  2. English todaykapok

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.