eucalyptus

Coined by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1788 from Ancient Greek εὖ (eû, “well”) + καλυπτός (kaluptós, “covered”), from καλύπτω (kalúptō, “to cover”). The name refers to the operculum of the flower bud, which protects the developing flower parts as the flower develops and is shed by the pressure of the emerging stamens at flowering.

Flower buds of Eucalyptus erythrocorys. At upper left, the red operculum covers the developing stamens, hence the name eu-calyptus = well covered.

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• Rhymes: -ɪptəs
• IPA^(key): /ˌjuːkəˈlɪptəs/

eucalyptus (plural eucalypti or eucalyptuses)

1. Any of many trees, of genus Eucalyptus, native mainly to Australia.

   Synonyms: gum tree, eucalypt

   Hyponyms: gum, mallee, stringybark, ironbark, blackbutt, yate, yellow box

2. A greenish colour, like that of a eucalyptus leaves.

   eucalyptus:  

• (tree): box, gimlet

• eucalyptus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Coined by Charles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle in 1788 from Ancient Greek εὖ (eû, “well”) + καλυπτός (kaluptós, “covered”), from καλύπτω (kalúptō, “to cover”).

• IPA^(key): /ø.ka.lip.tys/
• Hyphenation: eu‧ca‧lyp‧tus

eucalyptus m (plural eucalyptus)

1. eucalyptus

• eucalyptus citronné

• → Catalan: eucaliptus
• → English: eucalyptus

• “eucalyptus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.