Sapling

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsæplɪŋ/

Definitions

1. A young tree in the early stages of growth, typically less than ten years old and still developing its full size and strength
2. A young tree that is in its initial growth phase and has yet to reach maturity or develop robust features
3. An immature tree that is still growing and has not achieved its full height or structure

Etymology: "Sapling" is a plain compound: "sap," the liquid that circulates through a young plant, joined to the diminutive suffix "-ling," which English uses for something small or young, as in "duckling" or "gosling." Put together, the name describes a young tree by its vigor, as though the plant were still full of the sap that would later feed a mature trunk. The suffix does most of the work here. "-ling" marks a smaller or younger version of something, and Middle English speakers used it freely on creatures and plants alike, so "sapling" follows a pattern that was already productive in the language. The word "sap" itself is ancient in English, descending from Old English "sæp," which meant the juice of plants, and the sense of "sap" as the living fluid of a tree is its original and still central meaning.

Synonyms: young tree, seedling, shoot, plant, twig

Antonyms: tree, adult tree