Syllabification: xy·lem

Pronunciation: ˈzīləm

noun

Definition: The vascular tissue in plants that conducts water and dissolved nutrients upward from the root and also helps to form the woody element in the stem.

Origin: late 19th century: from Greek xulon ‘wood’ + the passive suffix –ēma

 

 

Source: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/american_english/xylem