Meaning

noun close-grained fragrant yellowish heartwood of the true sandalwood; has insect repelling properties and is used for carving and cabinetwork

originFrom sandal + wood, the first component being from Middle English sandal (“sandalwood”), from Medieval Latin sandalum, from Byzantine Greek σάνδανον (sándanon), σάνταλον (sántalon), from Arabic صَنْدَل (ṣandal), from Middle Persian [script needed] (cndl /⁠čandal⁠/, “sandalwood”), from Sanskrit चन्दन (candana, “sandalwood”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0