eucalyptus

Also eu·ca·lypt

[yoo-kuh-lip-tuhs]

noun

plural

eucalypti, eucalyptuses 

1. any of numerous often tall trees belonging to the genus Eucalyptus, of the myrtle family, native to Australia and adjacent islands, having aromatic evergreen leaves that are the source of medicinal oils and heavy wood used as timber.

eucalyptus

/ ˌjuːkəˈlɪptəs, ˈjuːkəˌlɪpt /

noun

1. any myrtaceous tree of the mostly Australian genus Eucalyptus, such as the blue gum and ironbark, widely cultivated for the medicinal oil in their leaves ( eucalyptus oil ), timber, and ornament

Other Word Forms

• eucalyptic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eucalyptus¹

1800–10; < New Latin < Greek eu- eu- + kalyptós covered, wrapped, akin to kalýptein to cover

Word History and Origins

Origin of eucalyptus¹

C19: New Latin, from _eu- + Greek kaluptos covered, from kaluptein to cover, hide

Example Sentences

The Eames House is a raised steel-and-glass structure built into a hillside on the edge of a sun-dappled meadow in a eucalyptus grove on North Chautauqua Boulevard, with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

Molting peacocks squawked in the distance and a Pacific breeze whispered through the eucalyptus as flamingo keeper Liz Gibbons tidied her station at the San Francisco Zoo.

From Los Angeles Times

In the park, roughly 400 trees, mostly non-native — and notoriously flammable — eucalyptuses, were considered part of the cultural historic landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

The air smells faintly of printer toner and eucalyptus.

From Salon

To this day, when I land at LAX and get a whiff of eucalyptus riding above the jet fuel and car exhaust, I just think, “Man, it’s good to be home.”

From Los Angeles Times