cajeput

American  

[kaj-uh-puht, -poot] / ˈkædʒ ə pət, -ˌpʊt /

Or cajaput,

noun

1. a tree, Melaleuca leucadendron, of the myrtle family, native to Australia and New Guinea, having papery bark and yielding a greenish, aromatic oil cajeputoil used in medicine and perfumes.

---

cajeput British  

/ ˈkædʒəˌpʊt /

noun

1. a variant spelling of cajuput

---

Etymology

Origin of cajeput

< New Latin cajuputi < Dutch kajoe-poetih ( -olie ) < Malay kayu putih the cajeput tree ( kayu white + putih tree)

Example Sentences

For example, there have been suggestions that you should drink or inhale cajeput oil, a plant-derived oil usually used to treat skin irritations, to prevent coronavirus.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2021

The real terror of the Everglades is Australia's Melaleuca quinquenervia, also known as cajeput, punk tree and paperbark tree.

From Time Magazine Archive

From the odorous leaves of the Arbor alba is extracted a portion of the aromatic cajeput oil.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

This tree is known in different localities by a variety of names, such as "spice-bush," "balm of heaven," "sassafras laurel," "cajeput," "California bay-tree," "California olive," "mountain laurel," and "California laurel."

From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth

The history of cajeput oil during the last few months, offers a curious illustration of the effect of opinion upon price.

From On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures by Babbage, Charles