late wood

American  

noun

1. summerwood.

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late wood Scientific  

1. The part of the wood in a growth ring of a tree that is produced later in the growing season. The cells of late wood are smaller and have thicker cell walls than those produced earlier in the season. Within a growth ring, the change of early wood to late wood is gradual, but each layer of early wood from the next growing season makes an abrupt contrast with the late wood before it, thus leading to the perception of rings.

2. Compare early wood

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Etymology

Origin of late wood

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

This alternation of early and late wood is due largely to a seasonal decrease in the number of vessel elements and a seasonal increase in the number of tracheids.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

During the fall season, the secondary xylem develops thickened cell walls, forming late wood, or autumn wood, which is denser than early wood.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In choosing a piece of pine where strength or stiffness is the important consideration, the principal thing to observe is the comparative amounts of early and late wood.

From The Mechanical Properties of Wood Including a Discussion of the Factors Affecting the Mechanical Properties, and Methods of Timber Testing by Record, Samuel J.

The proportion of late wood is equal to the sum of the widths of the late wood crossed by the line, divided by the length of the line.

From The Mechanical Properties of Wood Including a Discussion of the Factors Affecting the Mechanical Properties, and Methods of Timber Testing by Record, Samuel J.

Wood uniform-textured; late wood usually very thin, inconspicuous.

From Studies of Trees by Levison, Jacob Joshua