eucalyptus

American  

[yoo-kuh-lip-tuhs] / ˌyu kəˈlɪp təs /

Also eucalypt

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.

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eucalyptus British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• eucalyptic adjective

Etymology

Origin of eucalyptus

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

Example Sentences

The same mechanism explains why menthol, eucalyptus, and related compounds create a cooling feeling even when the temperature has not actually dropped.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2026

Trails lead past old-fashioned greenhouses, beehives, and eucalyptus, palm and cork trees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

From the parking lot there, walk north on the beach and follow a path up into a eucalyptus grove.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025

Koalas infected with chlamydia are usually given antibiotics but the treatment means they cannot digest eucalyptus leaves - their only food source - leading to starvation and sometimes death.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

Off to the side is the garden—a bit of an overblown name for it, since it’s mostly large, uneven rocks surrounded by pale-green shrubs, the color of eucalyptus.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed