cypress Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun wood of any of various cypress trees especially of the genus Cupressus
  2. noun any of numerous evergreen conifers of the genus Cupressus of north temperate regions having dark scalelike leaves and rounded cones
    cypress tree.

WordNet

Cy"press noun
Etymology
OE. cipres, cipresse, OF. cipres, F. cyprs, L. cupressus, cyparissus (cf. the usual Lat. form cupressus), fr. Gr. , perh. of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. gpher, Gen. vi. 14.
Wordforms
plural Cypresses (-z)
Definitions
  1. (Bot) A coniferous tree of the genus Cupressus. The species are mostly evergreen, and have wood remarkable for its durability. ✍ Among the trees called cypress are the common Oriental cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, the evergreen American cypress, C. thyoides (now called Chamaecyparis sphaeroidea), and the deciduous American cypress, Taxodium distichum. As having anciently been used at funerals, and to adorn tombs, the Oriental species is an emblem of mourning and sadness.

Webster 1913