eucalyptus

American  

[yoo-kuh-lip-tuhs] / ˌju kəˈlɪp təs /

Also eucalypt

noun

eucalypti, plural eucalyptuses plural

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

Derived Forms

• eucalyptic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• eucalypti
  plural
• eucalyptuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of eucalyptus

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

Explanation

Eucalyptus is an Australian plant that produces an oil with a strong, distinctive scent. Koalas are famously fond of eating eucalyptus leaves. There are more than 600 species of eucalyptus trees and shrubs, many of which are known in their native habitat of Australia and Tasmania as "gumtrees." Most North American eucalyptus is raised for its astringent scent, or for use in cut flower arrangements. The word eucalyptus was coined by an 18th-century French botanist, from the Greek eu, "well," and kalyptos, "covered," a description of the plant's flower bud.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eucalyptus eucalypti eucalyptuses

A largely sedentary and inflexible creature, dependent on eucalyptus leaves for much of their water, koalas quickly develop dehydration when hotter conditions persist.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Our favorite walk is to our neighborhood park, an old one with tall eucalyptus trees surrounding what used to be a cemetery, Pioneer Park.

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

But most beat it back to the city without venturing to neighboring Colares, a verdant region of cypress and eucalyptus, with a generous supply of fruit stands and antique shops, gradually sloping to lesser-known beaches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

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

On the other edge of the property, a tall palm tree and several smaller, bluish silver eucalyptus trees trembled together in the late-afternoon wind.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

As the orange ball of the sun rose on the horizon and birds twittered in the eucalypti, Baumgarten showed up—a fit, poised, attractive guy in his 40s.

From Golf Digest ● Apr. 2, 2020

Hasn't California many eucalyptus trees originally brought from Australia, and among the California eucalypti can't some of the twelve varieties the Koala feeds upon be found?

From Time Magazine Archive

A hot sun blazed over Skhirat, where King Hassan II's rambling white summer palace is set amid oaks, poplars and eucalypti beside the Atlantic, and cooling breezes wafted in from the ocean.

From Time Magazine Archive

We next entered a scrub of Acacia pendula, which at seven miles opened into a forest of apple-trees and other eucalypti.

From Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1 by Mitchell, Thomas

The woods are principally eucalypti, as might be supposed, but endogenous trees are found toward the north, and are shown.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 22. October, 1878. by Various

In the park, roughly 400 trees, mostly non-native — and notoriously flammable — eucalyptuses, were considered part of the cultural historic landscape.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025

Loosely modeled on cactuses, palms, pines and eucalyptuses, they are tucked between bowling alleys and sewage treatment plants.

From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2021

Redwoods, madrones and manzanitas will be replanted, Mr. Rivail said, but not eucalyptuses, which he called “tinder boxes with oils.”

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2021

A stand of eucalyptuses sways across the road.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2021

Since eucalyptuses are particularly resistant to fire, they spread far and wide while other trees and shrubs disappeared.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari