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caj·e·put or caj·u·put

(kăjə-pət, -pt′)

a. A melaleuca tree (Melaleuca cajuputi) of Southeast Asia and Australia whose leaves yield an essential oil.

b. The oil obtained from this tree, used as a flavoring and in cosmetics and medicinal preparations.

2. Any of several other melaleucas, especially M. leucadendra or M. quinquenervia, which is naturalized in southern Florida.

[Ultimately (partly via Dutch kajoe poetih) from Malay (Indonesian dialect) kayu putih : kayu, wood, tree (from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kahiw, of Proto-Austronesian origin kahiw) + Malay putih, white (from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *putiq).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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