melaleuca
melaleuca Lexical Profile
melaleuca Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The pungent, volatile essential oil extracted from the leaves of certain species of these trees, widely used in alternative medicine and cosmetic products for its antiseptic properties.
"She added a few drops of melaleuca to the diffuser to help clear the air in the room."
Any of numerous shrubs or trees of the genus Melaleuca in the myrtle family, native primarily to Australasia and characterized by spongy, peeling bark and aromatic foliage.
"The wetland ecosystem was dominated by towering melaleucas whose papery bark peeled away in thick, ragged sheets."
Word Nuance & Usage
Though certain species of melaleuca are commonly known as 'tea trees' and are the source of tea tree oil, they are completely unrelated to the plant used to brew traditional black or green tea (Camellia sinensis).
• Rhymes for melaleuca
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Modern Latin, coined in 1767 by Carl Linnaeus from Greek 'melas' (black) and 'leukos' (white). The name is thought to refer to the characteristic contrasting white branches and fire-blackened trunks of certain Australian species.