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eucalyptus

[yoo-kuh-lip-tuh s]
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noun, plural eu·ca·lyp·ti [yoo-kuh-lip-tahy] /ˌyu kəˈlɪp taɪ/, eu·ca·lyp·tus·es.
  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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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
Related formseu·ca·lyp·tic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for eucalyptus

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Tasted of sugar a little and eucalyptus oil like they give you when you've got a cold.

    The Magic City

    Edith Nesbit

  • When she came to earth again, the sun was low beyond the eucalyptus trees.

    Stanford Stories

    Charles K. Field

  • I have had no time to examine more than one species of Eucalyptus.

  • The palm takes the place of the eucalyptus to a certain extent.

    Foot-prints of Travel

    Maturin M. Ballou

  • Eucalyptus and certain other species appear to be exceptions to this law.

    Seasoning of Wood

    Joseph B. Wagner

British Dictionary definitions for eucalyptus

eucalyptus

eucalypt (ˈjuːkəˌlɪpt)

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

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

Word Origin and History for eucalyptus

n.

1809, from Modern Latin, coined 1788 by French botanist Charles Louis L'héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800) from Greek eu "well" (see eu-) + kalyptos "covered" (see Calypso); so called for the covering on the bud.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper