ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
: the portion of each annual ring of a woody plant that develops largely during the latter part of the growing season but not necessarily in the summer and that compared with the springwood is less porous, is usually harder and heavier, consists largely of smaller and thicker-walled cells, and in softwoods is often darker — called also latewood