kapok

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)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.”

   “A still summer night a world away in a house that smells of cactus and dust and musty kapok.”

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