- a whitish crystalline aromatic terpene ketone obtained from the wood of the camphor tree or made from pinene: used in the manufacture of celluloid and in medicine as a liniment and treatment for colds. Formula: C10H16O
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cam•phor /ˈkæmfɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Chemistry, Drugsa strong-smelling substance used chiefly to repel moths.
cam•phor
(kam′fər),USA pronunciation n. [Chem., Pharm.]
cam•phor•a•ceous
(kam′fə rā′shəs),USA pronunciation adj.
cam•phor•ic
(kam fôr′ik, -for′-),USA pronunciation adj.
- Chemistry, Drugsa whitish, translucent, crystalline, pleasant-odored terpene ketone, C10H16O, obtained from the camphor tree, used chiefly in the manufacture of celluloid and in medicine as a counter-irritant for infections and in the treatment of pain and itching.
- Drugsany substance having medicinal or aromatic characteristics similar to those of camphor.
- Medieval Latin
- Anglo-French
- Malay kapur chalk, lime, camphor; replacing Middle English caumfre
- Medieval Latin, Neo-Latin camphora
Arabic kāfūr - 1275–1325;
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
camphor /ˈkæmfə/ n
'camphor' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
camphorate
- camphor ball
- camphor ice
- camphor laurel
- celluloid
- liniment
- mothball
- paregoric
- pinene
- samphire
- trimethadione
- anethole
- anise camphor
- borneol
- camphene
- camphol
- camphorated oil
- camphor oil
- camphor tree
- camphorweed
- ice
- laurel family
- Malayan camphor
- menthol
- peppermint camphor
- Sumatra camphor