sapling

noun

sap·​ling ˈsa-pliŋ How to pronounce sapling (audio)
-plən
1
: a young tree
specifically : one not over four inches (about 10 centimeters) in diameter at breast height
2

Examples of sapling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The president will participate at 10:30 a.m. in the planting of a sapling to take the place of the White House Andrew Jackson magnolia tree removed Monday because of age and safety. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025 The Parks Department also planted nearly 100 saplings in the area. Yessenia Funes, Curbed, 14 Aug. 2024 To prevent the needless destruction of Morinda trees, the foundation experimented with growing saplings in polythene bags in its nursery and harvesting the roots after about eight to 10 months. Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2025 Once the sapling is a foot tall, cut the main stem of the sapling about 1/3 of the way down, just above a node. Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sapling

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sapling was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sapling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapling. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

sapling

noun
sap·​ling ˈsap-liŋ How to pronounce sapling (audio)
: a young tree

More from Merriam-Webster on sapling

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