cypress

¹

[ sahy-pruhs ]

noun

1. any of several evergreen coniferous trees constituting the genus Cupressus, having dark-green, scalelike, overlapping leaves.
2. any of various other coniferous trees of allied genera, as the bald cypress.
3. any of various unrelated plants resembling the true cypress.
4. the wood of these trees or plants.

cypress

²

or cy·prus

[ sahy-pruhs ]

noun

, Obsolete.

1. a fine, thin fabric resembling lawn or crepe, formerly used in black for mourning garments and trimmings.

Cypress

³

[ sahy-pruhs ]

noun

1. a city in SW California.

cypress

¹

/ ˈsaɪprəs /

noun

1. a fabric, esp a fine silk, lawn, or crepelike material, often black and worn as mourning

cypress

²

/ ˈsaɪprəs /

noun

1. any coniferous tree of the N temperate genus Cupressus, having dark green scalelike leaves and rounded cones: family Cupressaceae See also Leyland cypress
2. any of several similar and related trees, such as the widely cultivated Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ( Lawson's cypress ), of the western US
3. any of various other coniferous trees, esp the swamp cypress
4. the wood of any of these trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of cypress¹

before 1000; Middle English, Old English cypresse < Late Latin cypressus, apparently blend of Latin cupressus and cyparissus < Greek kypárissos; replacing Middle English cipres < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin, as above

Origin of cypress²

1350–1400; Middle English cipre ( s ), cyprus, after Cyprus

Word History and Origins

Origin of cypress¹

C14 cyprus from the island of Cyprus

Origin of cypress²

Old English cypresse, from Latin cyparissus, from Greek kuparissos; related to Latin cupressus

Example Sentences

Pollen from cypress pine trees, which have few natural protections against fire, fell dramatically, whereas pollen from more fire-tolerant eucalyptus, shrubs, and grasses became more common.

From Science Magazine

The most allergenic tree pollens are from birch, cypress, Japanese cedar, latex, grass, and ragweed.

From Salon

We sprinted through the cypress glade, blind in the daylight, tripping over loose rocks.

From Literature

“I was surprised he did all that with a chainsaw because his sculptures felt so refined — these abstract forms out of redwood and cypress,” Skelly says of Blunk.

From Los Angeles Times

Spanish moss hangs from branches of black cypress trees like funeral veils.

From Los Angeles Times