kepel
kepel Lexical Profile
• noun
An evergreen tree (Stelechocarpus burahol) in the annona family, native to Java, Indonesia, historically cultivated almost exclusively by Javanese royalty.
"The palace grounds in Yogyakarta were once carefully planted with kepel, a tree revered by the aristocracy for its cultural significance."
The sweet, brownish-orange edible fruit of the kepel tree, traditionally consumed by Javanese princesses because it was believed to act as an internal deodorant that perfumes the sweat and breath with a violet-like scent.
"She learned that eating a kepel was an ancient Indonesian beauty secret intended to naturally fragrance the skin."
• Rhymes for kepel
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Javanese 'kepel', literally meaning 'clenched fist', which describes the size and shape of the tree's fruit.