eucalyptus

noun

eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
plural eucalypti ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-ˌtī How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) -ˌtē How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) or eucalyptuses
: any of a genus (Eucalyptus) of mostly Australian evergreen trees or rarely shrubs of the myrtle family that have rigid entire leaves and umbellate flowers and are widely cultivated for their gums, resins, oils, and woods

Examples of eucalyptus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Options available: 100% Tencel lyocell inside and out, their eucalyptus fibers are made from the pulp of FSC & PEFC-certified eucalyptus wood. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 15 Oct. 2024 Under the flow of the shower water, each tablet dissolves to release soothing scents like lavender and eucalyptus. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2024 The primary scents are lavender, eucalyptus, and frankincense. —WIRED, 9 Oct. 2024 Oil of lemon eucalyptus may also be listed by its chemical name, PMD. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for eucalyptus 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from Greek eu- eu- + kalyptós "covered," verbal adjective of kalýptein "to cover, protect, conceal"; so named for the operculum that covers the developing buds — more at apocalypse

Note: The genus name was introduced by the French botanist Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800) in Sertum Anglicum, seu Plantae rariores quæ in hortis juxta Londinum, imprimis in Horto Regio Kewensi excoluntur (London, 1788), p. 11. According to E.V. Slee et al., EUCLID: Eucalypts of Australia, 3rd edition (online publication), the specimen of Eucalyptus obliqua which L'Héritier described in Kew Gardens had been procured in 1777 by the botanical collector David Nelson at Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania, on James Cook's third voyage to the Pacific.

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eucalyptus was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near eucalyptus

eucalyptol

eucalyptus

eucalyptus gum

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Eucalyptus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eucalyptus. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

eucalyptus

noun
eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
plural eucalypti -ˌtī How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
-ˌtē
 or eucalyptuses
: any of a genus of mostly Australian evergreen trees of the myrtle family including many that are widely cultivated for their gums, resins, oils, and useful woods

Medical Definition

eucalyptus

noun
eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of mostly Australian evergreen trees or rarely shrubs of the myrtle family that have rigid entire leaves and umbellate flowers and are widely cultivated for their gums, resins, oils, and useful woods
2
plural eucalypti -ˌtī How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) -ˌtē How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) or eucalyptuses : any tree or shrub of the genus Eucalyptus
eucalyptus adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on eucalyptus

Nglish: Translation of eucalyptus for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eucalyptus

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