paperbark

[ pey-per-bahrk ]

noun

1. cajeput.

paperbark

/ ˈpeɪpəˌbɑːk /

noun

1. any of several Australian myrtaceous trees of the genus Melaleuca , esp M. quinquenervia, of swampy regions, having spear-shaped leaves and papery bark that can be peeled off in thin layers
2. the papery bark of any of these trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of paperbark¹

First recorded in 1835–45; paper + bark ²

Example Sentences

Over in Australia, Luke Jeffery, a biogeochemist postdoctoral researcher at the Southern Cross University, found an abundance of bacteria living in the barks of paperbark trees that were essentially eating up the trees’ methane.

From Popular-Science