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

And most want sun, although vine maple, katsura, paperbark maple and ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ dogwood don’t mind some shade.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2021

In that respect, the paperbark maple is “something of a poster child” for all trees that need the intervention of scientists to ensure their future, said Paul Meyer, executive director of the Morris Arboretum.

From Washington Post • Jul. 12, 2016

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

I got the requisite observation for latitude during the night; and since necessity is ever the mother of invention, read off my sextant by a torch made for the occasion from pieces of paperbark.

From Discoveries in Australia, Volume 2 Discoveries in Australia; 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