pith

American  

[pith] / pɪθ /

noun

1. Botany. the soft, spongy central cylinder of parenchymatous tissue in the stems of dicotyledonous plants.

2. the white, spongy part of a citrus fruit between the rind and the thin, transparent skin of individual segments.

3. Zoology. the soft inner part of a feather, a hair, etc.

4. the important or essential part; essence; core; heart.

   the pith of the matter.

5. significant weight; substance; solidity.

   an argument without pith.

6. Archaic. spinal cord or bone marrow.

7. Archaic. strength, force, or vigor; mettle.

   men of pith.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to remove the pith from (plants).

2. to destroy the spinal cord or brain of.

3. to slaughter, as cattle, by severing the spinal cord.

pith British  

/ pɪθ /

noun

1. the soft fibrous tissue lining the inside of the rind in fruits such as the orange and grapefruit

2. the essential or important part, point, etc

3. weight; substance

4. Also called: medulla.  botany the central core of unspecialized cells surrounded by conducting tissue in stems

5. the soft central part of a bone, feather, etc

---

verb

1. to destroy the brain and spinal cord of (a laboratory animal) by piercing or severing

2. to kill (animals) by severing the spinal cord

3. to remove the pith from (a plant)

pith Scientific  

/ pĭth /

1. The soft, spongy tissue in the center of the stems of most flowering plants, gymnosperms, and ferns. Pith is composed of parenchyma cells. In plants that undergo secondary growth, such as angiosperms, the pith is surrounded by the vascular tissues and is gradually compressed by the inward growth of the vascular tissue known as xylem. In plants with woody stems, the pith dries out and often disintegrates as the plant grows older, leaving the stem hollow.

2. See illustration at xylem

---

1. To remove the pith from a plant stem.

2. To sever or destroy the spinal cord of an animal for the purpose of dissecting it, usually by inserting a needle into the spinal canal.

Etymology

Origin of pith

First recorded before before 900; Middle English pith(e), pitthe, Old English pitha; cognate with Dutch pit; pit ²

Example Sentences

Among her many dancers, I spy a nurse, an astronaut, a UPS delivery guy — even a dude in a pith helmet.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

It looks pretty forthright on the page, but Mr. Isaacson skillfully teases fresh pith and resonance out of those familiar words.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

This layer holds moisture, much like the pith in the center of a tree trunk.

From Scientific American • Aug. 16, 2023

The last is painted on the semi-circular pith of a banana tree and is owned by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2023

He’s sweaty, and his pith helmet doesn’t protect his skin from the sun.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu