Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Cyperus

noun
Cy·​pe·​rus | \sīˈpirəs, sə̇ˈ-\

Definition of Cyperus 

: a genus of plants (family Cyperaceae) having the scales of the spikelet 2-ranked, the flowers all perfect, and the spikelets alike — see galingale sense 2, nut grass sense 1a, papyrus sense 1, umbrella plant sense 1

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for Cyperus

New Latin, from Latin cyperos, a kind of rush, from Greek kypeiros, probably of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew kōper, a resin

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about Cyperus

Dictionary Entries near Cyperus

cyp

Cyperaceae

Cyperales

Cyperus

cyphella

cyphellate

cypher

Statistics for Cyperus

Look-up Popularity

Comments on Cyperus

What made you want to look up Cyperus? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

nidus

a nest or breeding place

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Late Autumn 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • frosted-autumn-leaves
  • Which is a synonym of yahoo?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games