A white, crystalline substance with a strong aromatic smell, obtained from the camphor tree or made synthetically. It is used in medicine, as an insect repellent, and in religious ceremonies.
From Arabic kāfūr, which came from Sanskrit karpūra, reflecting the spice trade routes from India through the Islamic world to Europe. The word entered Medieval Latin as camphora, then Old French as camphre, reaching Middle English as camphor by the 14th century. The Arabic transmission preserved this important medicinal and aromatic substance's name from its Asian origins.
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