xyl- -comb form

  1. wood
    • xylo phone
  2. xylene
    • xyl idine

xy·lan ['zī-,lan] -n

  1. a yellow gummy pentosan that yields xylose on hydrolysis and is abundantly present in plant cell walls and woody tissue

xy·lem ['zī-ləm, -,lem] -n

  1. a complex tissue in the vascular system of higher plants that consists of vessels, tracheids, or both usu. together with wood fibers and parenchyma cells, functions chiefly in conduction of water and dissolved minerals but also in support and food storage, and typically constitutes the woody element (as of a plant stem)

xylem ray -n

  1. a vascular ray or portion of a vascular ray located in xylem called also wood ray

xy·lene ['zī-,lēn] -n

  1. any of three toxic flammable oily isomeric aromatic hydrocarbons C 8H 10that are di-methyl homologues of benzene and are usu. obtained from petroleum or natural gas distillates
  2. a mixture of xylenes and ethyl benzene used chiefly as a solvent

xy·li·dine ['zī-lə-,dēn] -n

  1. any or a mixture of six toxic liquid or low-melting crystalline isomeric amino derivatives C 8H 11N of the xylenes used chiefly as intermediates for azo dyes and in organic synthesis

xy·li·tol ['zī-lə-,tȯl, -,tōl] -n

  1. a crystalline alcohol C 5H 12O 5that is a derivative of xylose, is obtained esp. from birch bark, and is used as a sweetener

xy·log·ra·phy [zī-'lä-grə-fē] -n, adj

  1. the art of making engravings on wood esp. for printing

xy·lol ['zī-,lȯl, -,lōl] -n

  1. xylene

xy·loph·a·gous [zī-'lä-fə-gəs] -adj

  1. feeding on or in wood
    • xylophagous insects

xy·lo·phone ['zī-lə-,fōn also 'zi-] -n

  1. a percussion instrument consisting of a series of wooden bars graduated in length to produce the musical scale, supported on belts of straw or felt, and sounded by striking with two small wooden hammers

xy·lose ['zī-,lōs, -,lōz] -n

  1. a crystalline aldose sugar C 5H 10O 5that is not fermentable with ordinary yeasts and occurs esp. as a constituent of xylans from which it is obtained by hydrolysis