bole

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a soft oily clay used as a pigment (especially a reddish brown pigment)
noun the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
noun a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria and closely related to Hausa

From Middle English bole, from Old Norse bolr, akin to Danish bul and German Bohle (“plank”). See also bulwark (“defensive wall”).

Long banners of light fell athwart the grey boles. — Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1909 to 1922, L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery
There was something there besides boles of trees, and underbrush. — The Chessmen of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs
Ashby's post was in front of the silver bole of a great beech. — The Long Roll, Mary Johnston

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