cy|press

cy|press¹ «SY pruhs», noun.

1. any one of a group of evergreen trees with hard wood and dark-green, overlapping leaves like scales. It belongs to the cypress family. Cypress is cultivated in western Asia, southern Europe, and the southern and western United States.

2. any one of various cone-bearing trees, related to the true cypress, such as the bald or swamp cypress.

3. the wood of any cypress tree. Cypress is much used for boards and shingles and for doors.

4. the branches of the cypress, used as a symbol of mourning, from their ancient use at funerals.

5. any one of various plants in some way resembling the true cypress.

╂[< Old French cipres, learned borrowing from Late Latin cypressus < Greek kypárissos]

cy|press² «SY pruhs», noun. Obsolete.

1. a fine, thin, black fabric formerly much used for mourning: »

wearing mourning scarfs of cypress (London Gazette).

2. an expensive satin.

╂[probably < Old French Cypre Cyprus, from which many fabrics were imported in the Middle Ages]