The main trunk of a tree, especially the part between the ground and the first branch; the solid woody stem of a tree.
From Old Norse 'bolr' meaning 'tree trunk' or 'ball-like object,' cognate with Old English 'bolla' (bowl), both possibly derived from Proto-Germanic roots relating to rounded, hollow objects, as tree trunks are hollow when dead.
The word 'bole' is linguistically related to 'bowl'—both come from the idea of a hollow, round thing—and foresters still use this term as the ultimate measure of a tree's value, measuring bole diameter to estimate timber yield, making it central to forestry economics worldwide.
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