A hard, aromatic resin obtained from certain tropical trees, used in varnishes, lacquers, and incense.
From Malay 'dammar,' referring to the resin-producing trees of Southeast Asia. The term was borrowed into English through trade, as European merchants encountered this valuable substance in colonial commerce.
Dammar resin was so valued historically that it was a major trade commodity—Southeast Asian merchants could make fortunes exporting it, and European artists prized it for creating crystal-clear varnishes on paintings!
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