eucalyptus

noun

eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs 

plural eucalypti ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-ˌtī  -ˌtē  or eucalyptuses

: any of a genus (Eucalyptus) of mostly Australian evergreen trees or rarely shrubs of the myrtle family that have rigid entire leaves and umbellate flowers and are widely cultivated for their gums, resins, oils, and woods

Examples of eucalyptus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Keller fire erupted Friday afternoon in the Oakland Hills and quickly grew to 15 acres, burning through a swath of eucalyptus trees toward hillside homes. —Ben Poston, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024

The fire – fueled by strong winds and dry conditions – is believed to have jumped from a vegetation blaze near I-580 to the homes before igniting eucalyptus trees, Covington said. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024

These one-bedroom dwellings, surrounded by eucalyptus trees, sleep up to four people. —Catherine Garcia, theweek, 18 Oct. 2024

The fill is made with recycled plastic, it’s sewn with recycled thread, the primary fabric is eucalyptus sourced from regenerative forests, and Buffy is developing a closed-loop supply chain that’ll turn old comforters into new ones. —Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from Greek eu- eu- + kalyptós "covered," verbal adjective of kalýptein "to cover, protect, conceal"; so named for the operculum that covers the developing buds — more at apocalypse

Note: The genus name was introduced by the French botanist Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle (1746-1800) in Sertum Anglicum, seu Plantae rariores quæ in hortis juxta Londinum, imprimis in Horto Regio Kewensi excoluntur (London, 1788), p. 11. According to E.V. Slee et al., EUCLID: Eucalypts of Australia, 3rd edition (online publication), the specimen of Eucalyptus obliqua which L'Héritier described in Kew Gardens had been procured in 1777 by the botanical collector David Nelson at Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania, on James Cook's third voyage to the Pacific.

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

eucalyptus

noun

eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs 

plural eucalypti -ˌtī 

-ˌtē

or eucalyptuses

: any of a genus of mostly Australian evergreen trees of the myrtle family including many that are widely cultivated for their gums, resins, oils, and useful woods

Medical Definition

eucalyptus

noun

eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs 

1

capitalized : a genus of mostly Australian evergreen trees or rarely shrubs of the myrtle family that have rigid entire leaves and umbellate flowers and are widely cultivated for their gums, resins, oils, and useful woods

2

plural eucalypti -ˌtī  -ˌtē  or eucalyptuses : any tree or shrub of the genus Eucalyptus

eucalyptus adjective