Definition of "suberin" []

• A waxy waterproof substance present in the cell walls of cork tissue in plants. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "One of cork's distinguishing features is its high concentration of a waxy, highly water-repellent substance called suberin, which makes it perfect as a stopper for liquids such as wine."
• "Nearly 60% of the cell wall in cork is made up of suberin, a complex waxy substance similar to the cutin that coats many fruits, and this makes cork water-resistant and long-lived."
• "Cork consists of a soft, highly elastic substance, as a basis, having diffused throughout a matter with properties resembling wax, tallow, and resin, yet dissimilar to all of these, and termed suberin."