Main Entry: xy·lem

Pronunciation: \ˈzī-ləm, -ˌlem\

Function: noun

Etymology: German, from Greek xylon

Date: 1873

: a complex tissue in the vascular system of higher plants that consists of vessels, tracheids, or both usually together with wood fibers and parenchyma cells, functions chiefly in conduction of water and dissolved minerals but also in support and food storage, and typically constitutes the woody element (as of a plant stem) — compare phloem