xylem

American  

[zahy-luhm, -lem] / ˈzaɪ ləm, -lɛm /

noun

Botany.

1. a compound tissue in vascular plants that helps provide support and that conducts water and nutrients upward from the roots, consisting of tracheids, vessels, parenchyma cells, and woody fibers.

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xylem British  

/ ˈzaɪləm, -lɛm /

noun

1. a plant tissue that conducts water and mineral salts from the roots to all other parts, provides mechanical support, and forms the wood of trees and shrubs. It is of two types (protoxylem and metaxylem), both of which are made up mainly of vessels and tracheids See also protoxylem metaxylem

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xylem Scientific  

/ zī′ləm /

1. A tissue in vascular plants that carries water and dissolved minerals from the roots and provides support for softer tissues. Xylem consists of several different types of cells: fibers for support, parenchyma for storage, and tracheary elements for the transport of water. The tracheary elements are arranged as long tubes through which columns of water are raised. In a tree trunk, the innermost part of the wood is dead but structurally strong xylem, while the outer part consists of living xylem, and beyond it, layers of cambium and phloem.

2. See more at cambium capillary action Compare phloem

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xylem Cultural  

1. The system of vessels that transports water in a plant. (See phloem.)

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Etymology

Origin of xylem

1870–75; < German, equivalent to Greek xýl ( on ) wood + -ēma ( see phloem)

Compare meaning

How does xylem compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• xylem vs. phloem

Explanation

Xylem is the part of a plant that conveys water from the roots to the leaves and stems, transporting various nutrients along with it. Xylem is composed of hollow, tube-like tissue, almost like tiny pipes that carry water and minerals to every part of a plant. Together with phloem, which transports the sugar made during photosynthesis, xylem helps keep plants healthy and growing. In woody plants, including trees, the xylem tissue dies off as the plant grows, becoming the "wood" of its trunk or stem. The word xlyem, originally coined in German, comes from the Greek xylon, "wood."

Example Sentences

A year ago, Xylem reported External link earnings per share of $1.03 from sales of $2.1 billion, according to FactSet.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Barron’s wrote positively about Xylem stock in October.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Xylem, a water-technology company, reported saving $19 million, or 1.6 percentage points, on its tax rate, because of Malta’s “notional interest deduction.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Durability: Kurita, Ecolab, and Xylem look the most bulletproof.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025

Xylem, zī′lem, n. the woody part of vegetable tissue—opposed to the phlo�m, or bast part.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various