Definition of XYLEM

Examples of xylem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As water travels through the plants’ xylem tubes, which help keep them hydrated, air bubbles will form and explode, generating small vibrations. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "Plants May Let Out Ultrasonic Squeals When Stressed," 2 Dec. 2019 The bacteria start in the leaf-tips and work their way into the trunks, blocking the xylem (the water-carrying arteries) and preventing the trees from absorbing water. — The Economist, "The threat to the southern European olive," 21 Sep. 2019 Around the edges ran thick, vertical strands containing xylem, the tubelike structures that carry water through many plants. — Daisy Yuhas, Scientific American, "Ancient Tree Structure Is Like a Forest unto Itself," 1 Jan. 2018 As the cladoxylopsids grew, these columns of xylem split themselves apart—most likely to supply water to the expanding plant. — Daisy Yuhas, Scientific American, "Ancient Tree Structure Is Like a Forest unto Itself," 1 Jan. 2018 Maple sap flows through the tree’s water-transport system, called the xylem, inside minuscule vertical tubes about a thousandth of an inch in diameter. — Helen Czerski, WSJ, "The Freeze and Thaw That Give Us Maple Syrup," 21 Mar. 2018 The strands, known as xylem, are tubes that carry water from the roots of a tree to its branches and leaves. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Ancient Trees “Ripped Their Skeletons Apart” To Grow," 26 Oct. 2017 The trunk is a single cylindrical shaft made up of hundreds of woody strands called xylem, which conduct water from the roots to the branches and leaves. — Dennis Normile, Science | AAAS, "The world’s first trees grew by splitting their guts," 23 Oct. 2017 New xylem grow in rings at the periphery of the trunk just behind the bark, adding girth so the tree can get taller. — Dennis Normile, Science | AAAS, "The world’s first trees grew by splitting their guts," 23 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'xylem.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

22 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Xylem.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xylem. Accessed 22 January 2020.

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xylem