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eucalyptus
noun
Examples of eucalyptus in a Sentence
Word History
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.
1801, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near eucalyptus
Cite this Entry
“Eucalyptus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eucalyptus. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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eucalyptus
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on eucalyptus
Nglish: Translation of eucalyptus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eucalyptus
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