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eucalyptus
noun
Examples of eucalyptus in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eucalyptus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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.
1801, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Eucalyptus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eucalyptus. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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eucalyptus
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on eucalyptus
Nglish: Translation of eucalyptus for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about eucalyptus
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