heartwood
Học thuậtThân thiện
The tree's dark heartwood is visible in the cross-section of the felled trunk.
Definition
Noun: - The older, inactive central wood of a tree or woody plant: This is the dense, inner part of a tree trunk, which no longer conducts sap or water. It is typically darker in color and more resistant to decay than the outer, living sapwood.
Usage
- Heartwood is a technical term used primarily in botany, forestry, woodworking, and related fields to describe a specific part of a tree's anatomy.
- It is used as a countable noun (e.g., , ).
Examples
- The heartwood of this oak tree is a rich, dark brown.
- Furniture makers often prize the durability and color of heartwood.
- As the tree ages, more sapwood transforms into heartwood.
Advanced Usage
- "True heartwood": Sometimes used to emphasize the fully formed, non-conductive core, as opposed to transitional wood.
- The true heartwood provides the tree's main structural support.
- In metaphorical or literary contexts, heartwood can symbolize the essential, unchanging core or strength of something.
- The tradition forms the heartwood of their culture.
Variants and Related Words
- Duramen: (noun) A technical synonym for heartwood.
- Sapwood: (noun) The younger, softer, outer wood of a tree that actively conducts water and sap; it is the living part surrounding the heartwood.
- Xylem: (noun) The vascular tissue in plants that conducts water and nutrients; heartwood is a part of the xylem that has become inactive.
Synonyms
- Core wood
- Duramen (scientific)
Antonyms
- Sapwood (the active, outer wood)
The tree's dark heartwood is visible in the cross-section of the felled trunk.
Noun
- the older inactive central wood of a tree or woody plant; usually darker and denser than the surrounding sapwood