kapok

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Malay kapuk (“silky fibre from the silk-cotton tree; Ceiba pentandra”).

1. A silky fibre obtained from seed pods of the silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) used for insulation and stuffing for mattresses, pillows, etc.

   “The moon came out of hiding and for a moment Jerry forgot his anxiety as a little grey-clad figure, small and sturdy [...], in a kapok coat and bulging proletarian cap, lowered himself over the side and leapt for the waiting arms of the sampan's crew.”

   “You can stuff them full of kapok to make a decent cushion and there is nothing better to carry frogs in.”

2. A silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra).
3. A cotton tree, Malabar silk-cotton tree, or red silk-cotton tree (Bombax ceiba).