eucalyptus

[ yoo-kuh-lip-tuhs ]

/ ˌyu kəˈlɪp təs /

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noun, plural eu·ca·lyp·ti

[yoo-kuh-lip-tahy], /ˌyu kəˈlɪp taɪ/, eu·ca·lyp·tus·es.

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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Also eu·ca·lypt

[yoo-kuh-lipt]. /ˈyu kəˌlɪpt/.

Origin of eucalyptus

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

OTHER WORDS FROM eucalyptus

eu·ca·lyp·tic, adjective

Words nearby eucalyptus

eubacteria, Euboea, Euboean, eucaine, eucalyptol, eucalyptus, eucarpic, eucaryote, eucharis, Eucharist, Euchite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use eucalyptus in a sentence

Even so, to encourage more people to protect themselves against bug bites, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed the use of natural oil of lemon eucalyptus, as well as picaridin, an odorless and less greasy alternative to deet.
How to Keep Things from Biting You This Summer|aweinberg|August 14, 2021|Outside Online
Make sure you take in some of the out-of-this-world cliff views toward the Southern Ocean before you go all the way inland to meet an array of lush greens, eucalyptus forests, fresh rivers and cave systems.
Ready to Be Hypnotized by Tasmania’s Rainforests?|Josefina Salomon|August 7, 2021|Ozy
At first, it tried to convince local residents to plant seedlings of fast-growing exotic trees, like eucalyptus, Duguma says.
Mixing trees and crops can help both farmers and the climate|Jonathan Lambert|July 14, 2021|Science News
After rinsing it off, a pleasant tingle remained on my skin, thanks to essential peppermint and eucalyptus oils.
This Face Wash Made Me Rethink My Skin-Care Routine|Luke Whelan|April 21, 2021|Outside Online

Within seven days of the fires destroying about half the island’s wilderness areas, buds once buried under the thick bark of eucalyptus trees “burst into life,” he says.
Post-fire Australia will provide travelers with more opportunities for ‘restorative tourism’|Elizabeth Heath|March 18, 2021|Washington Post
The school was made up of low, Mission Revival–style buildings surrounded by redwoods and eucalyptus trees stirred by the wind.
Adventures with an Extreme Polyglot: Excerpt from 'Babel No More'|Michael Erard|January 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was deep twilight in the room, and rather cold, for the eucalyptus and olive logs in the fireplace still awaited the match.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
Marie tilted back her head and looked up at the tall row of eucalyptus trees feathered against the stars.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
Looking at him as he lay back among the eucalyptus leaves, pale and emaciated, I knew the end was now very near.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont|Louis de Rougemont
The grasses and ferns there grew to a prodigious height, and there were magnificent forests of white gum and eucalyptus.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont|Louis de Rougemont
In this country eucalyptus seeds are reared in a greenhouse.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for eucalyptus

eucalyptus

eucalypt (ˈjuːkəˌlɪpt)

/ (ˌjuːkəˈlɪptəs) /

noun plural -lyptuses, -lypti (-ˈlɪptaɪ) or -lypts

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

Word Origin for eucalyptus

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012