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

Take a deep breath and inhale the soothing aromas of eucalyptus and spearmint from this stress-relieving candle. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 23 July 2026

Refreshing ingredients like eucalyptus and hydrating spearmint wake up the skin, while coconut oil softens it. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 July 2026

On the other hand, natural repellants with essential oils — like lemon, eucalyptus and citronella — may degrade more quickly. — Makena Gera, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026

That palette is echoed in the interior, where cork and eucalyptus wood play against bronze hardware. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 July 2026

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