ˈzīlə̇m, -ˌlem noun
( -s )
Etymology: German, from Greek xylon wood
: a complex tissue in the vascular system of higher plants consisting of vessels, tracheids, or both usually together with wood fibers and parenchyma cells, functioning chiefly in conduction but also in support and storage, and typically constituting the woody element (as of a plant stem) — compare phloem