A name for several oils or oily substances obtained from various trees: (a) from the East Indian Dipterocarpus alatus and other species (= GURJUN balsam or oil); (b) from the East Indian Satinwood, Chloroxylon Swietenia; (c) from the seeds of the Chinese Oil-tree or Varnish-tree, Aleurites cordata (also called tung-oil, from Chinese yu-t’ung or t’ung-tzū-shu, native names of the tree), used chiefly for varnishing woodwork. Also attrib.
1759. in A. Dalrymple, Oriental Repertory (1793), I. 109. The Bûraghmah Dominions yield Gold,… Earth-oil, and Wood-Oil.
1800. Asiat. Ann. Reg., Misc. Tracts, 95/1.
1841. W. Robinson, Assam, 62. The Dipterocarpus lovis, Hamilt, is the tree that yields the thin liquid balsam commonly known by the name of ‘wood oil,’ and which is much used in painting.
1857. Henfrey, Bot., § 438. Chloroxylon Swietenia furnishes East Indian Satin-wood, and an oil called Wood-oil is obtained from it.
1881. Spons’ Encycl. Manuf., IV. 1411. Tung-, Tree-, or Wood-oil … is a product of the so-called ‘oil-tree’ of China, Cochin China, and Japan.
1890. Hosie, Three Yrs. W. China, 18. The wood-oil tree … was scattered about among the fields.
