heartwood

noun

heart·​wood ˈhärt-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce heartwood (audio)
: the older harder nonliving central wood of trees that is usually darker, denser, less permeable, and more durable than the surrounding sapwood

Examples of heartwood in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each discovers her own heartwood, her durable, solid core, along the way. — The Know, Denver Post, 3 Aug. 2025 The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating. — Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 2025 Female beetles bore into the trunks and branches of young trees and excavate galleries in the heartwood. — Janet B. Carson, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2025 Artisans sort the wood by hand, selecting only the darkest heartwood, and distill it for just three days. — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heartwood

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1575, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartwood was circa 1575

Rhymes for heartwood

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Browse Nearby Words

heartwise
heartwood
heartworm
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Cite this Entry

“Heartwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartwood. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

heartwood

noun
heart·​wood -ˌwu̇d How to pronounce heartwood (audio)
: the older harder nonliving and usually darker wood of the central part of a tree trunk compare sapwood

More from Merriam-Webster on heartwood

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heartwood

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