heartwood

== English == === Etymology === From heart +‎ wood. === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhɑɹtˌwʊd/ === Noun === heartwood (countable and uncountable, plural heartwoods) The wood nearer the heart of a stem or branch, different in color from the sapwood. Coordinate term: sapwood A popular myth is that heartwood is stronger than sapwood. The staves are split from the heartwood. The heartwood is composed of dead cells; it supports the tree, but no longer has any physiological purpose. The staves must follow the grain of the wood to achieve a watertight cask, so they are split rather than sawn. — L'encyclopédie du Cognac: From log to stave ==== Translations ====