sapling

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsaplɪŋ/

noun

  • 1a young tree, especially one with a slender trunk.
  • literary a young and slender or inexperienced person: what god or mortal reared up so fair a sapling?
  • 2a greyhound in its first year.

Origin:

Middle English: from the noun sap1 + -ling