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

Freudenberger was inspired by the Central Coast’s unique ecosystem, which is dotted with Monterey pines, cypress trees, and tide pools. —Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025

The once beautiful cypress trees, decades old, that stood beautifully, are now gone. —Sophia Leone, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2025

Those events form the rapids that everybody has so much fun playing on, and scour out the iconic pools that everybody likes to swing off of a cypress tree and jump into. —John Seabrook, New Yorker, 21 July 2025

Wildlife watchers can spot bobcats, foxes, otters, alligators, turtles and manatees, with more than 150 bird species flying among mangrove, cypress, palmetto and pine trees. —Ruffin Prevost, New York Times, 21 May 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