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eu·ca·lyp·tus

(y′kə-lĭptəs) also eu·ca·lypt (ykə-lĭpt′)

n. pl. eu·ca·lyp·tus·es or eu·ca·lyp·ti (-tī′) also eu·ca·lypts

Any of numerous trees of the genus Eucalyptus, native chiefly to Australia and widely planted worldwide, having aromatic leaves and valued as a source of oil, gum, and wood.

[New Latin Eucalyptus, genus name : Greek eu-, eu- + Greek kaluptos, covered (from kaluptein, to cover; see kel-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

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eucalyptus

blue gum

Eucalyptus globulus

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:

Indo-European Roots

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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