Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAM-PAN'I-FORM, a. [L. campana, a bell, and forma, form.]

In the shape of a bell; applied to flowers. Botany.

CAM'PA-NILE, n.

In architecture, a clock or bell tower. Elmes.

CAM'PA-NOL-O-GY, n. [L. campana, and Gr. λογος.]

Art of ringing bells; properly, a treatise on the art.

CAM-PAN'U-LA, n. [L.]

The bell-flower.

CAM-PAN'U-LATE, a. [L. campanula, a little bell.]

In the form of a bell. Botany.

CAMP'-BOY, n.

A boy that serves in a camp. Dwight.

CAM-PEACH'Y-WOOD, n.

from Campeachy in Mexico. [See Logwood.]

CAM-PES'TRAL, or CAM-PES'TRI-AN, a. [L. campestris, from campus, a field.]

Pertaining to an open field; growing in a field or open ground. Mortimer.

CAMP'-FIGHT, n.

In law writers, a trial by duel, or the legal combat of two champions, for the decision of a controversy. [Camp in W. is a game, and campiaw is to contend.]

CAM'PHENE, n. [A contraction of camphogen, from καμφορὰν, or καμφορὰ, camphor, and γενναω, to produce, because by combination with a certain definite quantity of oxygen, camphogen becomes camphor.]

A name recently proposed for pure oil of turpentine, (commonly called spirit of turpentine,) and lately much used, in order to disguise the nature and character of the substance, when it is to be sold for burning in lamps.

CAM'PHOR, n. [properly Cafor. Low L. camphora; Fr. camphre; It. canfora; Sp. alcanfor; Port. canfora; D. and G. kamfer; Ar. كَافُورً kafor, kaforon, from كَفَرَ kafara, Heb. Ch. And Syr. כפר kafar, to drive off, remove, separate, wipe away; hence, to cleanse, to make atonement. It seems to be named from its purifying effects, or from exsudation. It will be seen that the letter m in this word is casual.]

A solid concrete substance, from the Laurus Camphora, or Indian laurel-tree, a large tree growing wild in Borneo, Sumatra, &c. It is a whitish translucent substance, of a granular or foliated fracture, and somewhat unctuous to the feel. It has a bitterish aromatic taste, and a very fragrant smell, and is a powerful diaphoretic. Encyc. Lunier. Aikin.

CAM'PHOR, v.t.

To impregnate or wash with camphor. [Little used.]

CAM-PHOR-A'CEOUS, a.

Of the nature of camphor partaking of camphor. Barton.

CAM'PHOR-ATE, a.

Pertaining to camphor, or impregnated with it.

CAM'PHOR-ATE, n.

In chimistry, a compound of the acid of camphor, with different bases.

CAM'PHOR-ATE, v.t.

To impregnate with camphor.

CAM'PHOR-A-TED, a.

Impregnated with camphor.

CAM-PHOR'IC, a.

Pertaining to camphor, or partaking of its qualities.

CAM'PHOR-OIL, n.

See CAMPHOR-TREE.

CAM'PHOR-TREE, n.

The tree from which camphor is obtained. According to Miller, there are two sorts of trees that produce camphor; one, a native of Borneo, which produces the best species; the other, a native of Japan, which resembles the bay-tree, bearing black or purple berries. But the tree grows also in Sumatra. The stem is thick, the bark of a brownish color, and the ramification strong, close and extended. The wood is soft, easily worked, and useful for domestic purposes. To obtain camphor, the tree is cut down, and divided into pieces, and the camphor taken out; it being found in small whitish flakes, situated perpendicularly, in irregular veins, in and near the center of the tree. It is then repeatedly soaked and washed in soapy water, to separate from it all extraneous matter. It is then passed through three sieves of different texture, to divide it into three sorts, head, belly and foot camphor. Camphor oil is camphor, before the operations of nature have reduced it to a concrete form; and concrete camphor may be reduced to oil, by nitric acid. Asiat. Res. iv. 1.

CAM-PIL'LA, n.

A plant of a new genus, used by dyers. Asiat. Res.

CAMP'ING, n.

A playing at football. Bryant.

CAMP'ING, ppr.

Encamping.

CAMP'I-ON, n.

A plant, the popular name of the Lychnis.

CAM'US, or CAM'IS, n. [L. camisa.]

A thin dress. [Not English.] Spenser.