sapwood

[ sap-wood ]

noun

, Botany.

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

sapwood

/ ˈsæpˌwʊd /

noun

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

sapwood

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sapwood¹

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

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

Eight of the 13 samples were narrowed down to be dated between 40 and 60 A.D., using the sapwood present.

From Fox News

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

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

From Nature

The evaluation assesses the tree’s vigor, the thickness of its sapwood shell, its disease stresses, the state of the roots and the like.

From Washington Post