bombax
bombax Lexical Profile
bombax Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A genus of large, tropical trees native to western Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, known for their thick, often spiny trunks, striking red flowers, and pods containing a cotton-like fiber.
"During the dry season, the bombax sheds its leaves and blooms with brilliant crimson flowers that attract numerous birds."
The silky, cotton-like down produced within the seed pods of trees in the genus Bombax, historically harvested and used for stuffing cushions, life jackets, and mattresses.
"The villagers gathered the soft bombax from the fallen pods to stuff their bedding before the winter arrived."
• Rhymes for bombax
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'bombax' (cotton), derived from Ancient Greek 'bómbux' (silkworm, silk), which is likely of Eastern or Persian origin.