Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - cypress

 geographical name city SW California SE of Los Angeles population 46,229 CYPRESS  I. noun  Etymology: Middle English cipres, from Anglo-French cipres, from Latin cyparissus, from Greek kyparissos  Date: 14th century  1.  a.  (1) any of a genus (Cupressus of the family Cupressaceae, the ~ family) of evergreen trees and shrubs with small overlapping leaves resembling scales  (2) any of several coniferous trees of the ~ family or the bald ~ family; especially bald ~ 1  b. the wood of a ~ tree  2. branches of ~ used as a symbol of mourning  II. noun  Etymology: Middle English ciprus, cipres, from Cyprus, Mediterranean island  Date: 15th century a silk or cotton usually black gauze formerly used for mourning