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
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Sure enough, with a leaf litter path and a mossy front porch, brightly colored gnome figures are tucked against the inner heartwood of the tree.
—
Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2026
The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 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
Taiwanofungus camphoratus, once known as Antrodia cinnamomea, grows exclusively inside the decaying heartwood of the endangered stout camphor tree (Cinnamomum kanehirae).
—New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2025
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Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2026
The heartwood in the tree’s center decays first and makes for easy excavating.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 21 Sep. 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
Taiwanofungus camphoratus, once known as Antrodia cinnamomea, grows exclusively inside the decaying heartwood of the endangered stout camphor tree (Cinnamomum kanehirae).
—New Atlas, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartwood
Cite this Entry
“Heartwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartwood. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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