the.com/cedar chest
A wooden box that outsources moth deterrence to an actual tree's smell.
means A storage chest made of or lined with aromatic cedar wood, prized for keeping linens and woolens safe from moths.
from Straightforward compound: 'cedar,' from Old French 'cedre' and Latin 'cedrus,' tracing back to Greek 'kedros' for the tree, plus 'chest,' from Old English 'cest,' itself borrowed from Latin 'cista' (box), related to Greek 'kiste.' The practice behind the phrase is older than any fancy word history — cedar's natural oils repel insects, so people have been lining boxes with it for as long as they've had moths and linens worth saving.
- the science
- cedar oil repels larvae, not adult moths already hatched
- the catch
- scent fades fast, needs sanding every few years
- the tradition
- once a standard bridal gift for storing linens
- the material
- usually aromatic red cedar, actually a juniper species