Oud
/uːd/noun
A short-necked Middle Eastern lute, or the fragrant resinous wood of certain tropical trees used in incense and perfumery.
Did you know?The fragrance called oud forms when certain trees are infected, causing them to produce dark resin as a defensive response—perfume literally made from botanical injury.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic period
Arabic
ʿūd (عود)
“Wood, stick, or piece of timber; the source word behind both major English senses”
7th–10th Century
Arabic
al-ʿūd (العود)
“The wood; also the name of a plucked lute whose body was traditionally made of wood”
10th–13th Century
Arabic
ʿūd
“A refined pear-shaped lute central to Arabic and wider Middle Eastern musical traditions”
Medieval period
Arabic
ʿūd
“Agarwood or fragrant wood used in incense, medicine, and elite perfumery”
19th–20th Century
French and English
oud
“A European loanword for the Middle Eastern lute and, later, its intensely aromatic resinous wood”
Modern English
English
oud
“A traditional Middle Eastern string instrument, or a prized fragrance material also called agarwood”