1. a tropical hardwood tree native to South America, especially Guyana
2. the extremely hard, durable wood from this tree, used in marine construction and heavy engineering
Usage: construction; marine

Examples

• The greenheart trees in the rainforest can live for hundreds of years.
• Shipbuilders prized greenheart for its resistance to marine borers.
• The dock pilings were made of greenheart to withstand harsh ocean conditions.
• Greenheart timber is so dense it sinks in water.
• The old pier was constructed entirely of greenheart planks.
• Loggers harvested greenheart from the forests of British Guiana.