Agarwood

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Aromatic wood obtained from a specific tree type that becomes resinous due to fungal infections, frequently utilized in incense and perfume production
2. A highly valued wood sourced from certain trees that develop fragrance-rich resin when infected, commonly used in luxury scents and spiritual practices
3. A fragrant and valuable wood derived from specific trees that produce aromatic resin when affected by fungi, often used in perfumes and incense production

Etymology: Agarwood is the resin-rich heartwood of trees in the genus Aquilaria, which forms in damaged trunks and is prized as incense and perfume. Its name is a compound of "agar", borrowed from Sanskrit "aguru", and the English word "wood", but the first half has a longer journey than the second. Scholars trace "aguru" back to the Dravidian languages of South India, most likely to Old Tamil "akil", the name for the same fragrant wood. The Sanskrit form passed into many languages along the trade routes that carried the scent westward. Hebrew borrowed the Tamil word too, in the form "ahalim", and it appears in the Hebrew Bible and Song of Songs as a name for a precious aromatic. The lineage of the English word therefore runs from a South Indian language, through Sanskrit, and into the Mediterranean world, which is why an English compound ends up containing a word from the Dravidian family.

Synonyms: aloewood, oud, scented wood, fragrant wood, aromatic wood