Meaning & use
cypress
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Meanings
nouncountable
An evergreen coniferous tree with dense foliage and tiny scale-like leaves, common in warm regions and cemeteries.
Grammar: Takes a plural for more than one tree: rows of cypresses.
Patterns
- a tall cypress
- a row of cypresses
- cypress trees
A tall cypress marks the entrance to the old cemetery.
Wind bent the row of cypresses along the hillside.
noununcountabletechnical
The durable wood of this tree, sometimes used for chests, furniture, or outdoor building.
Grammar: Used without an or plural when naming the material: a cypress door.
Patterns
- cypress wood
- made of cypress
The bench is made of weather-resistant cypress.
Cypress was chosen for the garden shed because it resists rot.
Word forms
| plural | cypresses |
|---|
Common combinations
- tall cypress
- A tall cypress shaded the narrow path.
- cypress tree
- They planted one cypress tree beside the gate.
- row of cypresses
- A row of cypresses lined the road to the farmhouse.
- cypress wood
- The chest was carved from fragrant cypress wood.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- cypresses noun
- Plural form for more than one tree.
Commonly confused: cypress or Cyprus?
cypress vs Cyprus
Cyprus is the Mediterranean island; cypress is the tree, though the spellings are close.
Practice
Choose the correct word: The cemetery path was shaded by a tall ___.
Choose one answer.
A tall cypress is a tree often planted in cemeteries; Cyprus is the island, and the other words do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cypress”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.