eucalypt

eucalypt — noun

1. a tall tree that grows mainly in Australia and nearby islands, with narrow leave

1.nounB1
Definition

a tall tree that grows mainly in Australia and nearby islands, with narrow leaves that produce a strong-smelling oil used in medicine and cleaning products.

Example

The eucalypt in our backyard grew very tall in just a few years.

countable noun with determiner

Min could smell the eucalypt trees as soon as she stepped off the plane in Sydney.

eucalypt trees as a noun phrase

Common collocations
  • eucalypt tree
  • eucalypt leaves
  • eucalypt forest
  • eucalypt plantation
  • tall eucalypt
  • old eucalypt
Synonyms
  • eucalyptus

    much more common in everyday use; can also refer to the oil

  • gum tree

    informal name used mainly in Australia and New Zealand

Grammar Patterns

a eucalypt

eucalypts (plural)

Usage Note

Eucalypt is less common than eucalyptus in everyday speech. Both words refer to the same tree, but eucalyptus is also the name of the oil, while eucalypt is used only for the tree.

Common Mistakes

I bought eucalypt oil at the pharmacy.
I bought eucalyptus oil at the pharmacy.
The oil is called eucalyptus oil, not eucalypt oil.
The forest was full of eucalyptuses.
The forest was full of eucalypts.
The correct plural of eucalypt is eucalypts, not eucalyptuses.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe the same group of trees native to Australia. Eucalyptus is the most common and formal name — it is used in science, medicine, and everyday conversation worldwide. Eucalypt is a shorter, less frequent alternative that refers strictly to the tree (not the oil). Gum tree is an informal term used mainly in Australia and New Zealand; it comes from the sticky sap (gum) that some species produce. For example, a botanist would write about 'Eucalyptus forests,' while a farmer in Queensland might say 'I've got gum trees along the creek.' If you are buying cough drops, look for 'eucalyptus oil' on the label — you will almost never see 'eucalypt oil.'

eucalyptus ↗gum treeeucalypt ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • groves of eucalypt
  • eucalypt-scented air

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from modern Latin Eucalyptus, which was created in the 1780s by French botanist Charles Louis L'Héritier. He combined the Greek prefix eu- ('well' or 'good') with kalyptos ('covered'), because the flower bud is covered by a small cap (the operculum) that falls off when the flower opens. The shortened form eucalypt first appeared in English in the late 1800s.

First known use

1877

1877, in the meaning defined above