copra
UK[ˈkɒprə]US[ˈkoʊprə]
n
The dried white flesh of the coconut from which coconut oil is extracted.
Etymology
The word 'copra' entered English in the late 16th century via Portuguese and Spanish traders, who adapted it from the Malayalam word 'koppara', meaning 'coconut'. Malayalam is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala, a major historic region for coconut cultivation and trade. The term traveled from South Asia to Europe, retaining its core association with the dried coconut kernel as a valuable commodity in the colonial spice and oil trade, before becoming the standard international English term for this specific product.
Analysis
This word is a loanword adopted as a single, unanalyzable unit in English.
Examples
The primary export of the island nation was copra, used for making soap and margarine.
Workers spread the coconut halves in the sun to dry the copra.
The price of copra on the global market directly affects the livelihoods of many small-scale farmers.