‖ eucalyptus
(juːkəˈlɪptəs)
Pl. -i, -uses.
[mod.Lat., as if f. Gr. *εὐκάλυπτος, f. εὐ- (see- eu-) + καλυπτός covered, f. καλύπ-τειν to cover. The name, first given by L'héritier in 1788, was intended to mean ‘well-covered’ (cf. the Ger. name schönmütze); the flower before it opens being protected by a sort of cap (‘calyptra obverse hemisphærica’, L'héritier).]
a. A genus of plants of the family Myrtaceæ; the Gum-tree of Australia and the neighbouring islands; an individual tree of this kind.
| 1809 Naval Chron. XXII. 388 The Thelaleuca, Casuarina, Eucalyptus. 1823 Syd. Smith Botany Bay Wks. 1859 II. 22/1 A London thief..lodged under the bark of the dwarf eucalyptus, and keeping sheep..is not an uninteresting picture. 1875 H. C. Wood Therap. (1879) 89 Upon the lower mammalia the oil of Eucalyptus appears to act precisely as it does on man. 1879 Temple Bar Oct. 237 The sombre eucalypti..interspersed here and there by their dead companions. |
| attrib. 1875 Ure Dict. Arts II. 309 s.v., Gas extracted from eucalyptus leaves. 1884 Syd. Soc. Lex., Eucalyptus oil. |
b. Used
ellipt. for
eucalyptus oil, any of many essential oils distilled from the leaves of eucalypts and used medicinally and industrially.
| 1885 Buck's Handbk. Med. Sci. I. 262/2 Odor and expense serve to tell against eucalyptus preparations. 1895 Lancet 3 Aug. 268 The soap is pleasantly medicated with ‘sanitas’ and eucalyptus. 1970 J. Crossland Lewis's Pharmacology (ed. 4) xxviii. 832 Cough stimulants are many in number... They include tolu, menthol, eucalyptus, guaiacol, terpin hydrate, benzoin and oil of turpentine. |
Hence are formed the names of various products; as,
eucaˈlyptene [+
-ene].
eucaˈlyptin [+
-in].
eucaˈlyptol [+
-ol]. (See
quots.)
| 1879 Watts Dict. Chem. VII. 2nd Suppl. 494 s.v., Eucalyptol heated with phosphoric anhydride gives up water, and yields *eucalyptene, C12H18. |
| 1853 Pharmac. Jrnl. XIII. 79 Kino consists principally of a peculiar substance (*eucalyptin) analogous..to pectin. |
| 1879 Watts Dict. Chem. VII. 2nd Suppl. 493 *Eucalyptol, this compound is contained in large quantity in the volatile oil of Eucalyptus globulus. 1884 Pall Mall G. 28 July 12/2 Any preparation from which the slightest odour of eucalyptol is diffused. |