annual ring

American  

noun

1. an annual formation of wood in plants, consisting of two concentric layers, one of springwood and one of summerwood.

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annual ring British  

noun

1. Also called: tree ring.  a ring of wood indicating one year's growth, seen in the transverse section of stems and roots of woody plants growing in temperate climates

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annual ring Scientific  

1. See under growth ring

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Etymology

Origin of annual ring

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

annual ring

“The tree-ring patterns in the cross-sections were visually inspected,” the research paper said, “and then the annual ring widths were measured to the nearest 0.001 mm.”

From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2022

Geoghan’s friends said he was known for deflecting praise, asking others to speak at the McDonald’s games’ annual ring ceremony.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2022

Transition from spring wood to summer wood gradual; annual ring distinguished by a fine line of dense summer-wood cells; color, white to yellowish red; wood soft and light.

From Wood and Forest by William Noyes

Several layers of wood could be counted underneath these callused margins—often 6 or 7—before reaching the annual ring exposed at the surface of the canker.

From Northern Nut Growers Association, Report Of The Proceedings At The Tenth Annual Meeting. Battle Creek, Michigan, December 9 and 10, 1919 by Northern Nut Growers Association

The wood of the year in which this occurs may exhibit a double annual ring, and the vigour of the tree is likely to suffer in the following season and no fruit be matured.

From Disease in Plants by H. Marshall Ward