Cambium

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈkambɪəm/

Origin

From Latin cambium ("a change").

Full definition of cambium

Noun

1. (botany) A layer of cells between the xylem and the phloem that is responsible for the secondary growth of roots and stems.
• 1863, Harland Coultas, What may be learned from a treeDuring winter we perceive no change in the cells of the cambium layer, which are filled with nutritive matter . . .
2. (obsolete) One of the humours formerly believed to nourish the bodily organs.
• 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Book I, New York 2001, p. 147:The radical or innate is daily supplied by nourishment, which some call cambium, and make those secondary humours of ros and gluten to maintain it ....