The silky fiber from the seed pods of the ceiba tree, used for filling pillows, life jackets, and insulation; also called kapok.
From Spanish 'capoc' or Malay 'kapok', borrowed from Tagalog or Javanese languages where the ceiba tree is native.
Capoc is so naturally water-resistant and buoyant that it was the primary material for life jackets in WWII—one ceiba tree could supply enough fiber to fill thousands of vests.
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