sapwood

American  

[sap-wood] / ˈsæpˌwʊd /

noun

Botany.

1. the softer part of the wood between the inner bark and the heartwood.

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sapwood British  

/ ˈsæpˌwʊd /

noun

1. the soft wood, just beneath the bark in tree trunks, that consists of living tissue Compare heartwood

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sapwood Scientific  

/ săp′wd′ /

1. The younger layers of new wood produced by the interior side of the vascular cambium within a tree trunk. Sapwood is active in the conduction of water and is usually lighter in color than heartwood.

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Etymology

Origin of sapwood

First recorded in 1785–95; sap ¹ + wood ¹

Compare meaning

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

• heartwood vs. sapwood

Example Sentences

There are other trees with thick barks which act as heat shields to protect the vital sapwood that transports nutrients and water throughout the tree.

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2021

Individual ash can also be girdled to make a so-called trap tree: the bark is removed all the way around the trunk, drawing borers in the vicinity with the promise of exposed sapwood.

From The Verge • Nov. 25, 2019

An outer sapwood layer holds vessels called xylem tubes that siphon water and minerals up the plant.

From Nature • Apr. 2, 2019

“But why would sapwood be just in spots?” he asked, discarding that theory.

From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2016

The proportional amount of sapwood varies greatly, often, as in long-leaf pine, constituting 40 per cent. of the stem.

From Wood and Forest by Noyes, William