[bast] 
| 1. | Botany. phloem. |
| 2. | Also called bast fiber. any of several strong, woody fibers, as flax, hemp, ramie, or jute, obtained from phloem tissue and used in the manufacture of woven goods and cordage. |
| bast (bāst) n.
[Middle English, from Old English bæst.] |
| phlo·em (flō'ěm') n. The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting of sieve tubes, fibers, parenchyma, and sclereids. Also called bast. [German, from Greek phloios, bark; see bhleu- in Indo-European roots.] |
