eucalyptus

noun

eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
plural eucalypti ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-ˌtī How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) -ˌtē How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For a full display, the set includes 12 bundles of flowers with brown faux eucalyptus leaves, and each piece is made from artificial silk and plastic designed to resist fading and damage from the sun and other weather conditions. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025 Portside Adirondack Chair Adirondack chairs are notoriously pricey, but this one is contract grade, made with moisture-resistant solid mahogany and eucalyptus wood that is durable and well-worth its original value—let alone the sale price. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2025 Because of its proximity to the stadium, Panoramic Hill is often first in line for disaster preparedness measures, including the thinning of brush and eucalyptus trees on the hill, Berkeley resident Kevin Casey said. Austin Meek, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025 They’re made from breathable eucalyptus and wool, with a cushioned SweetFoam midsole for all-day comfort. Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eucalyptus

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of eucalyptus was in 1801

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Cite this Entry

“Eucalyptus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eucalyptus. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

eucalyptus

noun
eu·​ca·​lyp·​tus ˌyü-kə-ˈlip-təs How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
plural eucalypti -ˌtī How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
-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 How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio)
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 How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) -ˌtē How to pronounce eucalyptus (audio) or eucalyptuses : any tree or shrub of the genus Eucalyptus
eucalyptus adjective

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