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
But why sit indoors when there were hawks, and bears, and stars, and even an extremely rare American chestnut sapling to observe outside?
—
Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Yew saplings can continue growing for a thousand years or more.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024
Mindy will also host long lunches for children from Cabbage Tree Island, a small First Nations community on the NSW north coast where her grandmother lived in a mission, and bring at-risk Indigenous youth to the property to plant native saplings.
—Riley Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2024
Grow Monrovia, a nonprofit community nursery and gardens on the grounds of the Maryknoll Sisters retirement home, is providing free oak saplings to residents of Foothills communities from Pasadena to Glendora on Oct. 7, 16, 21 and 28.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sapling 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Yew saplings can continue growing for a thousand years or more.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024
Mindy will also host long lunches for children from Cabbage Tree Island, a small First Nations community on the NSW north coast where her grandmother lived in a mission, and bring at-risk Indigenous youth to the property to plant native saplings.
—Riley Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2024
Grow Monrovia, a nonprofit community nursery and gardens on the grounds of the Maryknoll Sisters retirement home, is providing free oak saplings to residents of Foothills communities from Pasadena to Glendora on Oct. 7, 16, 21 and 28.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sapling
Dictionary Entries Near sapling
Cite this Entry
“Sapling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapling. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sapling
noun
sap·ling
ˈsap-liŋ 
: a young tree
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share