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

And south in Carmel, Refuge makes a day of it, with a cedar sauna, eucalyptus steam room, warm thermal pools and a Nordic-cold plunge, all outdoors with a view of the Santa Lucia Preserve. — Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Expect serenity, surrounded by shades of cream and gray and eucalyptus essence in the bathroom products. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026

Residents should dump and drain any water, report other water sources to the district’s staff, and wear mosquito repellent like DEET or oil of lemon eucalyptus to reduce the risk of a bite. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 29 July 2026

Its eucalyptus wood construction is a major upgrade from stiff plastic alternatives and is resistant to warping, cracking, and pesky mildew. — Better Homes & Gardens, 27 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