silk-cotton tree

8.7

A very large tropical tree whose trunk has deep grooves and seed pods of soft, fluffy material used for stuffing

noun

: árbol de seda y algodón

The park featured a beautiful display of monumental silk-cotton trees, attracting visitors from all over.

Examples

There is Ta Prohm, which was left the way it was found, with strangler figs and silk-cotton trees growing from the walls and the jungle creeping in on all sides.

Blog text (3)
In many tropical regions, the silk-cotton tree provides essential kapok fiber for pillows and mattresses.
The house was surrounded by tall palms and gigantic silk cotton trees.

Fiction book (1994)
The silk-cotton tree is known for its massive trunk and silky pods filled with seeds.

Synonyms

kapok

vssilk-cotton tree

1 9.9

A large tropical tree that makes seed pods with silky fibers used for stuffing

focuses on the botanical identity rather than its commercial use

Ceiba pentandra

vssilk-cotton tree

Specialized

9.9

A large tropical tree that makes pods with seeds covered in soft floss used to stuff pillows

is the general common name used in ordinary talk

ceiba tree

vssilk-cotton tree

8.6

A very large tropical tree with a thick trunk and seed pods of silky fibers

is the more scientific or specific species label

God tree

vssilk-cotton tree

Indian

9.9

A large tropical tree with a thick bumpy trunk that gives silky kapok fiber

is the neutral botanical name used in plant descriptions

white silk-cotton tree

vssilk-cotton tree

9.3

A very large tropical tree with a rough trunk and pods of soft fibers around seeds used for stuffing

refers to the species without mentioning color or variety

Bombay ceiba

vssilk-cotton tree

9.9

A large tropical tree with a rough trunk and seed pods full of soft fibers used for pillows

is the general species term not tied to a specific region

Surface Forms

silk-cotton tree singular

silk-cotton trees plural

Morphology

silk-cotton + tree

The compound 'silk-cotton tree' is compositionally transparent: a B1 learner who knows 'silk', 'cotton', and 'tree' can infer it denotes a tree that produces cottony, silky fibres (i.e., the kapok). This follows regular noun-noun compounding in English and does not rely on an idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Silk-cotton tree gets its name from its big seed pods, which are full of soft, shiny floss that looks like both silk and cotton and, when the pods open, the white fluff floats away. That's why the silk-cotton tree is named after that floss and why people collect it as 'stuffing'.