Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Benzoin has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation
used in some classifications for the American spicebush and certain other plants often included in the genus Lindera
A resinous substance, dry and brittle, obtained from the Styrax benzoin, a tree of Sumatra, Java, etc., having a fragrant odor, and slightly aromatic taste. It is used in the preparation of benzoic acid, in medicine, and as a perfume.
Benzoin comes from Arabic lubān jāwiyy, meaning "Javanese frankincense." This term combines a root related to white resin with the name of Java, and it entered English via Catalan and Middle French.