Cajeput

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An evergreen Melaleuca tree of Southeast Asia and Australia whose leaves are used medicinally ; a fragrant volatile oil pressed or distilled from those leaves
2. A tall myrtle-family tree native to tropical Asia and northern Australia ; the pungent medicinal oil extracted from its aromatic foliage
3. An aromatic tree in the myrtle family found across Southeast Asia ; a camphor-scented essential oil obtained by distilling its leaves

Etymology: The tree that gives cajeput oil is named for its wood's colour, not its oil. The name comes from Malay "kayu putih", literally "white wood", a compound of "kayu", meaning "wood", and "putih", meaning "white". The tree is the Melaleuca cajuputi, a relative of the tea tree native to the Malay Archipelago and northern Australia, and its pale bark and timber gave the Malay name that European speakers later adopted. The English spelling "cajuput" reflects the Malay original most closely, while "cajeput" is an alternative form that shifted the middle vowel. Both forms refer to the same aromatic oil, which is distilled from the leaves and is widely used in liniments and inhalants. The word therefore preserves a plain description of a tree's appearance, carried across languages and into the pharmacy.

Synonyms: cajuput