sapling

[sap-ling]

noun

1. a young tree.

2. a young person.

sapling

/ ˈsæplɪŋ /

noun

1. a young tree

2. literary,  a youth

Word History and Origins

Origin of sapling¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; sap ¹, -ling ¹

Example Sentences

There are 49 saplings in total, one for each foot of the old tree's height.

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With increasing urgency, the couple scouted area ponds for suitable release sites, the trick being to find one currently unoccupied by other beavers, with abundant sapling growth as a food supply.

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He also travelled to the small island of Paqueta, where he met locals, learnt about mangrove conservation and planted tree saplings.

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One nursery owner last year threatened to burn millions of young saplings after nature restoration budgets for tree planting were plundered to fund local authority pay rises.

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The roughly 400-year-old specimen of spreading and enveloping branches was just a sapling at chattel slavery’s 1619 arrival in North America.

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Related Words

• seedling 
• tree