cypress

1 of 2

noun (1)

cy·​press ˈsī-prəs How to pronounce cypress (audio)
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
The ancient epicontinental sea bordered a forested coastline full of conifers, pines and cypresses. Santiago Flórez, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2024 The fishing boats moored outside the tavernas are as colorful as the neoclassical houses painted in contrasting shades of burgundy and baby blue, sunflower yellow and dove grey, pale pink and cypress green. Rachel Howard, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2024 Stands of slash pine marched toward cypress domes just beginning to turn amber as fall arrived. Michael Adno, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2024 While Christmas trees come in all different shapes and sizes, there are also several different varieties — like pine, spruce, cypress — as well. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 23 Nov. 2023 Calhoun still seems to be discovering her characters and fleshing out the through line of a plot that can sometimes seem as overgrown as one of the black cypress trees. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Start at Highlands Hammock State Park , with a boardwalk trail through a cypress swamp among the miles of walking trails and diverse environments home to more rare and imperiled species than even the Everglades. Terry Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2024 Its 68 acres is comprised of several different habitats, including hardwood hammock, cypress swamp and pine flatwoods, that attract a wide variety of wild birds. Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2024 Among the offerings — walnut, cherry, poplar, oak, mulberry, cypress and ash, according to a Montgomery Parks statement — will be celebrity timber: wood salvaged from Maryland’s historic Linden Oak, thought to have been more than 300 years old when it was felled in July. Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cypress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cypress was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cypress

Cite this Entry

“Cypress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cypress. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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
3
: the wood of a cypress tree

Geographical Definition

Cypress

geographical name

Cy·​press ˈsī-prəs How to pronounce Cypress (audio)
city in southwestern California southeast of Los Angeles population 47,802

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