Copal

ko'pal, a hard, clear, amber-like resin derived from various tropical trees. It is found also in the ground in a semi-fossil state, deposited, no doubt, by decaying timber. The best quality is obtained from pod-bearing trees on the east coast of Africa, Zanzibar, and Mozambique. Dissolved in hot linseed oil or in spirits of turpentine, it makes a clear, transparent varnish of great beauty and durability. See Amber; Shellac