sapling

S1A1P3L1I1N1G2
/ˈsæplɪŋ/

noun

A young tree, larger than a seedling.

OriginMiddle English saplyng →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nounsapling (plural saplings)

plural saplings

  1. A young tree, larger than a seedling.
  2. figurativelyA youngster, especially a male nearing maturity.

Synonyms & antonyms

Narrower
stripling
Also see
boyboychildman childmanlingstriplingtree

Origin

  1. Middle Englishsaplyng
  2. Englishsapling

From Middle English saplyng, seplyng, sapling, equivalent to sap + -ling.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ὄρπηξ
  • ὄρπηξ (órpēx)young tree
Arabic شَتْلَة
  • شَتْلَة (šatla)young tree
Bulgarian фида́нка, младеж
  • фида́нка (fidánka)young tree
  • младеж (mladež)youth
Catalan plançó
  • plançóyoung tree
Chinese Mandarin 幼苗, 樹苗 /树苗
  • 幼苗 (yòumiáo)young tree
  • 樹苗 /树苗 (shùmiáo)young tree
Czech odrostek, mladý strom
  • odrostekyoung tree
  • mladý stromyoung tree
  • stromekyoung tree
Dutch jong boompje, jongeling
  • jong boompjeyoung tree
  • jongelingyouth
Esperanto arbido
  • arbidoyoung tree
Finnish taimi, ihmistaimi
  • taimiyoung tree
  • ihmistaimiyouth
French arbrisseau
  • arbrisseauyoung tree
German junger Baum, Setzling
  • junger Baumyoung tree
  • Setzlingyoung tree
  • Stecklingyoung tree
  • Schösslingyoung tree
  • Jungbaumyoung tree
  • Fechseryoung tree
  • grüner Jungeyouth
  • Grünschnabelyouth
  • Jünglingyouth
Greek δενδρύλλιο
  • δενδρύλλιο (dendrýllio)young tree
Icelandic græðlingur
  • græðlinguryoung tree
Indonesian bibit
  • bibityoung tree
Irish crann óg, buinneán
  • crann ógyoung tree
  • buinneányoung tree
Italian virgulto, alberello
  • virgultoyoung tree
  • alberelloyoung tree
Japanese 若木, 若者
  • 若木 (wakagi)young tree
  • 若者 (wakamono)youth
Latin arbuscula
  • arbusculayoung tree
Māori māhuri, kāhō
  • māhuriyoung tree
  • kāhōyoung tree
  • kōhuriyoung tree
  • kōhurihuriyoung tree
Persian نهال
  • نهال (nahâl)young tree
Romanian puiet
  • puietyoung tree
Russian де́ревце, са́женец
  • де́ревце (dérevce)young tree
  • са́женец (sáženec)young tree
  • ю́ноша (júnoša)youth
  • юне́ц (junéc)youth
Scottish Gaelic ògan, ògan
  • òganyoung tree
  • òganyouth
Spanish pimpollo, plantón
  • pimpolloyoung tree
  • plantónyoung tree
  • virgultoyoung tree
  • plantínyoung tree
  • arbolitoyoung tree
  • pimpolloyouth
  • jovencitoyouth
  • jovenyouth
  • muchachoyouth
Turkish fidan
  • fidanyoung tree
Vietnamese cây nhỏ
  • cây nhỏyoung tree

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

lapsingspaling
Cite this entry
APA

sapling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sapling

MLA

“sapling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sapling. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sapling,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sapling.

Source: sapling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.