paperbark

American  

[pey-per-bahrk] / ˈpeɪ pərˌbɑrk /

noun

1. cajeput.

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paperbark British  

/ ˈpeɪpəˌbɑːk /

noun

1. any of several Australian myrtaceous trees of the genus Melaleuca , esp M. quinquenervia, of swampy regions, having spear-shaped leaves and papery bark that can be peeled off in thin layers

2. the papery bark of any of these trees

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Etymology

Origin of paperbark

First recorded in 1835–45; paper + bark ²

Example Sentences

Longtime Imperial Courts resident Loretha West, 78, dutifully waters the paperbark tree Hayes planted last year outside her apartment, which she requested as a memorial to her son who was murdered at age 29.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2021

Ticking off the seasons, Libner shares how the witch hazel blooms “fragrantly and flagrantly” in January, an Italian prune fruits in summer and a paperbark maple with cinnamon exfoliating bark is “gorgeous in every season.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 14, 2021

The bark of certain trees looks stunning in winter, including paperbark maples, birches, beeches, magnolias and stewartias.

From Washington Post • Nov. 19, 2019

After I left, in a laneway off the main road, I found a paperbark tree and peeled away some bark, placed it under my T-shirt, gently rubbed my skin in a circular motion.

From The Guardian • May 6, 2016

The face of the country was well but not too closely covered with specimens of the red and white gum, and paperbark tree, and several others.

From Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1. With an Account of the Coasts and Rivers Explored and Surveyed During The Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, in the Years 1837-38-39-40-41-42-43. By Command of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. Also a Narrative Of Captain Owen Stanley's Visits to the Islands in the Arafura Sea. by Stokes, John Lort