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

An aerial view of the property, which is on over a half-acre parcel laced with towering cypress trees. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Nov. 2025

The refuge is filled with mythical-looking cypress trees and live oaks with Spanish moss. —Sheeka Sanahori, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025

The trail stays level early on and crosses the road a couple of times before descending through a grove of Arizona cypress to a shallow drainage. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 8 Nov. 2025

From the facade crafted from hinoki wood, a rare cypress that’s often reserved for Japanese temples and shrines, to impressive cultural programming and exhibitions, there’s always something worth seeing. —Jade Moyano, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 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