# phloem

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfləʊ.əm/ · frequency rank #83,620

## Definitions
1. A vascular tissue in land plants primarily responsible for the distribution of sugars and nutrients manufactured in the shoot.

## Etymology
First attested in 1872. From German Phloëm, coined by Swiss botanist Carl Nägeli in 1858 from Ancient Greek φλόος (phlóos, “husk, bark”) + a Greek-sounding ending -em (cf. System).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/phloem