Dictionary

sandalwood en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsandəlwʊd/

Etymology

From sandal + wood, the first component being from Middle English sandal (“sandalwood”), from Medieval Latin sandalum, from Byzantine Greek σάνδανον (sándanon), σάνταλον (sántalon), from Arabic صَنْدَل (ṣandal), from Middle Persian [script needed] (cndl /⁠čandal⁠/, “sandalwood”), from Sanskrit चन्दन (candana, “sandalwood”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum, native or long naturalized in India, Australia, Hawaii, and many south Pacific islands.
2. (countable, uncountable) The aromatic heartwood of these trees used in ornamental carving, in the construction of insect-repellent boxes and chests, and as a source of certain perfumes.
   • Sandalwood is a favorite cosmetic with Burmese ladies. 1873, Edward Balfour, editor, Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial, Industrial and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures, volume 5, page 133:
   • Wines can be described with words like cigar box and “pencil lead,” or flinty or with hints of sandalwood — oenophiles can veer into what many might deem pretentiousness pretty quick. 2023 March 24, Laura Reiley, “Could nonalcoholic wine be the toast of the town?”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 15 May 2023:
   • The branches of the white cedar will keep off moths when placed amongst clothes or furs. Boxes of red cedar (cedar of Lebanon) will do the same, as also sandalwood. 1847, R. G. A. Levinge, Echoes from the Backwoods; Or, Sketches of Transatlantic Life, second edition, volume 1, London: Henry Colburn, Appendix § Notes on the Trees of New Brunswick, page 288:
   • You ſhall put in a little bag the Powder of Sandalwood with the aforeſaid well-ſcenting Spices, and heart-ſtrengthening Powders, and lay it warm upon the left breaſt. 1680, T. K., The Kitchin-Phyſician; Or, a Guide for Good-Housewives in Maintaining Their Families in Health. […] , To cure the Palpitation of the Heart, page 70:

Forms

Deriveds

blue sandalwood · Sandalwood English · false sandalwood · Indian sandalwood · bastard sandalwood · sandalwood defoliator · Sandalwood

Translations (99)

ca sàndal (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ko 단향 (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sv sandel (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · he אלמוג (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · eo santalo (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sh sandalovina (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · de Sandelholz (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sh сандаловина (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · pa ਚੰਦਨ (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · kk сандал (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · tl apalit (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ml ചന്ദനം (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ar صَنْدَل (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · te చందనం (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ja 香木 (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · pt sândalo (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · kn ಚಂದನ (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · mk сандаловина (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · cs santal (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · hi सन्दल (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · el σανταλόξυλο (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · de Santelholz (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · fr santal (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · te చందనం (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · et sandlipuu (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · grc σάνταλον (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · mi maire taiki (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ur چندن (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · es sándalo (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ml ചന്ദനം (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sw sandali (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · cmn 檀木 (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · pl sandał (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ru санда́ловое де́рево (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · cmn 檀香 (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · grc σάνταλον (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ru санда́л (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ar صَنْدَل (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · et sandlipuu (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · pa ਚੰਦਨ (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · bo ཙན་དན (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · sh сандаловина (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · pl sandałowiec (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · fi santelipuu (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · hy ճանդան (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · hi संदल (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · bn চন্দন (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sw msandali (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · fi santelipuu (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · lo ຈັນ (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · th จันทน์ (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · haw ʻiliahi (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · sv sandelträ (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · fr bois de santal (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ta சந்தனம் (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · enm sandal (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ca sàndal (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · nl sandelhout (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · sh sandalovina (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ur چندن (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · hi चन्दन (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ro santal (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · hi चन्दन (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · es sándalo (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · bg сандалово дърво (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · el σανταλόξυλο (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · bn চন্দন (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · nl sandelhout (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · lo ຈັນ (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · th จันทน์ (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · sa चन्दन (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · de Santalholz (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · haw ʻiliahi (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · hi सन्दल (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · de Santalholz (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · id cendana (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · hy ճանդան (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sa चन्दन (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · enm saundres (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · sl sandalovina (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · he אלמוג (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sw msanduku (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · pt sândalo (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · mr चंदन (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · sl sandalovina (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · cs santal (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · ur صندل (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ur صندل (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · sv sandel (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ru чефра́с (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · mi tāiko (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · de Sandelholz (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · mi tāiko (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · id cendana (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · kn ಚಂದನ (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · de Santelholz (the aromatic heartwood of the trees of the genus Santalum) · fr santal (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · mi maire taiki (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum) · ro santal (any of various tropical trees of the genus Santalum)