What does "cambium" mean?

A layer of cells between the xylem and the phloem that is responsible for the secondary growth of roots and stems.

How do you pronounce "cambium"?

Pronounced //ˈkeə̯m.biˌəm//.

//ˈkeə̯m.biˌəm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A layer of cells between the xylem and the phloem that is responsible for the secondary growth of roots and stems. countable, uncountable
"During winter we perceive no change in the cells of the cambium layer, which are filled with nutritive matter […]."
2
the inner layer of the periosteum wordnet
3
Periosteum, a membrane that covers the outer surface of bones countable, uncountable
4
a formative one-cell layer of tissue between xylem and phloem in most vascular plants that is responsible for secondary growth wordnet
5
One of the humours formerly believed to nourish the bodily organs. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"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 […]"

"When inserting the budwood into the root stock, make the cambium layers overlap."

Borrowed from Late Latin cambium (“a change”), from Gaulish. Doublet of change.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.