cypress

1 of 2

noun (1)

cy·​press ˈsī-prəs 

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

Pope Francis also eliminated the practice of being buried in three coffins made of cypress, lead and oak. —Alec Schemmel, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Enea turned to nature for a solution, planting 38 swamp cypresses (Taxodium distichum), each capable of extracting up to 800 liters of water per day. —Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

Instead of being buried in three coffins, each made of cypress, lead, and elm, placed inside the other, his coffin will be a wooden one, lined with zinc. —George Petras, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025

In another break from tradition, his burial will also not require the traditional three coffins consisting of cypress, lead and oak. —Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025

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

Phrases Containing cypress

• bald cypress
• cypress vine
• Monterey cypress
• summer cypress

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

: bald cypress

3

: the wood of a cypress tree

Geographical Definition

Cypress

geographical name

Cy·​press ˈsī-prəs 

city in southwestern California southeast of Los Angeles population 47,802