heartwood

noun

heart·​wood ˈhärt-ˌwu̇d 

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web

The huge mahogany table – a single slab 35 feet long and 10 feet wide – is the centerpiece of this historic cypress and heartwood pine building designed to be a Polynesian ceremonial palace. —Bonnie Gross, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025

First, there are bowls of ground Maré sandalwood heartwood, then sandalwood cuttings and the liquid extract of sandalwood, which gives a creamy, voluptuous smell. —Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 23 May 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

The aerie is decked out with soaring 18-foot ceilings, reclaimed heartwood pine floors, and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1575, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heartwood

• allgood
• basswood
• beechwood
• bellwood
• birchwood
• boxwood
• boyhood
• brushwood
• childhood
• cordwood
• dogwood
• driftwood

Kids Definition

heartwood

noun

heart·​wood -ˌwu̇d 

: the older harder nonliving and usually darker wood of the central part of a tree trunk compare sapwood