sapling
意味一覧 (2件)
若木
解説 Definition
sapling は、成木になる途中の若い木を指す名詞です。森・公園・庭などで、幹はあるがまだ細く小さい木について使われ、植樹や自然観察の文脈でよく出ます。
A sapling is a young tree that is still growing and has not become fully mature yet. It is usually small and thin, but it already has a woody trunk, so it is more developed than a seedling. This word is often used when talking about forests, parks, gardens, planting trees, or watching nature.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
sapling は seedling と比べて覚えると整理しやすい語です。seedling は種から出たばかりの「苗」に近く、sapling はもう小さな幹を持ち、木として成長している段階を指します。語尾 -ling は duckling などのように「小さい・若いもの」を表すことがあり、sapling も「まだ若い tree」と考えると自然です。an oak sapling, young saplings, grow into a tree のように、森林・庭・植樹の場面で見かけます。
It helps to compare sapling with seedling. A seedling is at the very early stage, close to a new sprout, but a sapling already has a small trunk and is growing as a young tree. The ending -ling, as in duckling, can suggest something small or young, so sapling is easy to remember as a still-young tree. Think of phrases like an oak sapling or grow into a tree.
例文
The gardener planted a sapling in the corner of the yard.
庭師は庭の隅に若木を一本植えた。
After the fire, small saplings began to grow across the hillside.
火事のあと、丘の斜面に小さな若木が育ち始めた。
Each oak sapling needs enough sunlight and water to grow into a strong tree.
それぞれのオークの若木には、丈夫な木に育つための十分な日光と水が必要だ。
苗木
(意味 2)解説 Definition
まだ若くて細い木。成長途中の若木や苗木のこと。
A sapling is a young tree that is still small and developing. The word is commonly used in gardening, farming, and discussions about forests or nature. It usually refers to a tree that is older than a seedling but not yet fully grown.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
このエントリでは sapling を「植える対象としての苗木」として覚えます。基本義の「若木」が自然に生えている若い木まで広く指すのに対し、苗木は nursery, garden, plant, transplant など、園芸・林業で育てて植え替える小さな木を思い浮かべると区別しやすいです。seedling よりは少し育ち、細い幹が見える段階の木というイメージを持つと、plant saplings along the riverbank のような用例に対応できます。
Remember it next to `seedling`: a `seedling` is very new, but a `sapling` is already more like a young tree. The ending `-ling` often suggests something small or young, so `sapling` feels like a little tree. Think of common phrases like `plant a sapling` or `an oak sapling`.
例文
The sapling we planted last spring has already grown several inches taller.
去年の春に植えた苗木はすでに数インチ高く成長した。
A deer had been nibbling on the young sapling in the backyard.
鹿が裏庭の若い苗木をかじっていた。
The volunteers planted hundreds of saplings along the riverbank to prevent erosion.
ボランティアたちは浸食を防ぐために川岸に沿って何百本もの苗木を植えた。
sapling の語源・成り立ち Etymology
古英語系の sap「樹液」に、小ささや若さを表す -ling が付いた語です。「樹液を含む若いもの」から、成長途中の若木を表すようになりました。
Sapling comes from Old English sap, meaning "juice" or "tree sap," with the suffix -ling, which often shows something small or young. The word originally suggested a young living thing full of sap, and later came to mean a young tree.
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