Heartwoods

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The dense, inner part of a tree trunk that provides structural support and is typically strong and durable
2. The central, woody core of a tree that has grown older and is often darker and harder than the surrounding layers
3. The matured part of a tree's stem that accumulates over time, serving as a key component for strength and longevity in the wood

Etymology: "Heartwoods" is the plural of "heartwood," the dense, dark, usually non-living core at the centre of a tree trunk, which is formed from older sapwood and no longer carries sap. The plural simply refers to the cores of several trees, or to the heartwood found in different kinds of timber. The word is a plain compound of "heart" and "wood," joining the English words for the vital centre of a body and for timber. The image is of the tree's centre as its inner core, the part that gives the trunk its strength even as the outer layers do the living work of moving water and nutrients.

Synonyms: heartwood, core wood

Antonyms: sapwood