kapok
Silk-cotton tree fiber
Kapok is a silky fiber obtained from the seed pods of the tropical kapok tree.
Light, buoyant, and water-resistant, it was once the standard stuffing for life jackets, mattresses, and pillows before synthetic materials largely replaced it: The old life preserver was filled with kapok.
The kapok tree itself is among the tallest in tropical rainforests.
Plant fiber for textiles
- flossInterdental cleaning strand
- stuffingSeasoned mixture for cavities
- fillingMaterial placed within
- battingSwinging at pitches
coir · down · cellulose · boll · pod · textile · spinning · yarn
Soft and light-textured
feathery · light · airy · billowy · puffy · lightweight · lofty · wispy
Of hot, humid regions
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- canopyOverhead protective covering
- trunkMain stem or storage
- deciduousSheds foliage seasonally
timber · pods · seedpod · flowering · tall · emergent · Africa · plantation
Seasoned mixture for cavities
- pillowBedding for heads
- mattressPadded sleeping surface
- cushionStuffed fabric for comfort
- upholsteryFurniture's textile layer
bedding · padding · quilting · comforter · thermal · warmth · soundproofing · acoustic
Ability to stay afloat
- lifejacketBuoyant vest for water
- corkTree bark bottle seal
- waterproofImpervious to moisture
- hydrophobicRepels aqueous substances
cotton
Plant fiber for textiles
batting · coir · down · cellulose · boll · pod · textile · spinning · yarn · thread
fluffy
Soft and light-textured
silky · feathery · light · airy · billowy · puffy · lightweight · lofty · wispy · smooth
tropical
Of hot, humid regions
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- canopyOverhead protective covering
- trunkMain stem or storage
deciduous · timber · pods · seedpod · flowering · tall · emergent · Africa · plantation · harvest
stuffing
Seasoned mixture for cavities
upholstery · bedding · padding · quilting · comforter · thermal · warmth · soundproofing · acoustic · loft
flotation
Ability to stay afloat
- lifejacketBuoyant vest for water
- corkTree bark bottle seal
- waterproofImpervious to moisture
- treesoak, birch, maple, pine, elm
- rainforestrainforest, jungle, tropical, tropics, canopy
- rainforeststropical rainforest, canopy layer, forest floor, emergent layer, understory
- Amazon RainforestAmazon, tropical rainforest, Amazon rainforest, Amazon basin, jungle
- big treesredwood, sequoia, giant sequoia, baobab, eucalyptus
- cash cropscotton, tobacco, sugarcane, sugar cane, coffee
kapokpolyurethane foam
Aerated plastic polymer
memory foam · polystyrene · fiberglass insulation · styrofoam