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DictionaryxylemWater-conducting tissue
noun

xylem

ZYE-lum/ˈzaɪləm/

Plant tissue that carries water and dissolved minerals from the roots.

Xylem carries water and dissolved minerals from roots to leaves.

A small leafy plant with exposed roots and a magnified stem cutaway showing hollow xylem vessels carrying water and dissolved minerals upward from the roots toward the leaves.
Etymology
xylemGermanwoody plant tissue

German Xylem was coined from Greek xylon, meaning “wood.” The name highlights the tissue’s woody character, while its defining function is carrying water and minerals upward from the roots.

In context

The Great Courses9:26
… the xylem carries water and minerals up from the soil and the phloem carries the sugars …
Botany Basics | How to Identify Different Plant Species Around You

More examples

  • Water moves upward through the xylem inside the stem.
  • Damaged xylem can limit the water reaching a plant's leaves.
  • The wood in a tree's trunk is made of xylem.