cypress

1 of 2

noun (1)

cy·​press ˈsī-prəs 

1

a(1)

: any of a genus (Cupressus of the family Cupressaceae, the cypress family) of evergreen trees and shrubs with small overlapping leaves resembling scales

(2)

: any of several coniferous trees of the cypress family or the bald cypress family

especially : bald cypress sense 1

b

: the wood of a cypress tree

2

: branches of cypress used as a symbol of mourning

cypress

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a silk or cotton usually black gauze formerly used for mourning

Examples of cypress in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her tiny strides nestled among the cypress trees near the Guadalupe River. —Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 14 July 2025

Behind him, the giant trunk of a felled cypress tree lay alongside the slab of the home where his son and his three friends were spending the holiday weekend. —Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 9 July 2025

Goose Creek State Park is one of the best places to see the area’s ecosystems, including the cypress swamp, accessible on a boardwalk trail or by paddling through. —Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2025

In this picture, the late-afternoon sun was peeking through this grove of cypresses at just the right angle. —Emily Feng, NPR, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English cipres, from Anglo-French ciprès, from Latin cyparissus, from Greek kyparissos

Noun (2)

Middle English ciprus, cipres, from Cyprus, Mediterranean island

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cypress

• bald cypress
• cypress vine
• Monterey cypress
• summer cypress

Kids Definition

cypress

noun

cy·​press

ˈsī-prəs

1

: any of a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs that are related to the pines and have overlapping scalelike leaves

2

: bald cypress

3

: the wood of a cypress tree

Geographical Definition

Cypress

geographical name

Cy·​press ˈsī-prəs 

city in southwestern California southeast of Los Angeles population 47,802