any of several evergreen hemiparasitic trees of the genus Santalum, esp S. album (white sandalwood), of S Asia and Australia, having hard light-coloured heartwood: family Santalaceae
2.
the wood of any of these trees, which is used for carving, is burned as incense, and yields an aromatic oil used in perfumery
3.
any of various similar trees or their wood, esp Pterocarpus santalinus (red sandalwood), a leguminous tree of SE Asia having dark red wood used as a dye
Word origin
C14 sandal, from Medieval Latin sandalum, from Late Greek sandanon, from Sanskrit candana sandalwood