ligneous

American  

[lig-nee-uhs] / ˈlɪg ni əs /

adjective

1. of the nature of or resembling wood; woody.

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ligneous British  

/ ˈlɪɡnɪəs /

adjective

1. of or resembling wood

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Etymology

Origin of ligneous

First recorded in 1620–30, ligneous is from the Latin word ligneus of wood. See lign-, -eous

Explanation

If something's made of wood, or looks like it is, it's ligneous. A tree is a ligneous plant. A stiff politician is a ligneous person. Ligneous is a technical term, the kind that scientists like, so if you want to describe something as wood-like in a casual conversation or an informal piece of writing, it's probably best to go with, well, wood-like, or woody. Use ligneous if you're deliberately trying to sound like someone who spends a lot of time looking into a microscope.