Dictionary.com

lign-

Save This Word!

variant of ligni- before a vowel: lignite.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WORDS THAT USE LIGN-

What does lign- mean?

Lign– is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “wood.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

Lign– comes from Latin lignum, meaning “wood.” A Greek translation is hȳ́lē, meaning “wood” or “matter,” as in the substance of the universe, source of the combining form hylo. Another Greek-based combining form meaning “wood” is xylo. To learn more, check out our Words That Use article on the forms.

What are variants of lign-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a consonant, lign– becomes ligni, as in lignify, or ligno, as in lignocaine. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on ligni– and ligno-.

Examples of lign-

One scientific term that features the form lign– is lignin, “an organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief part of woody tissue.”

Lign– means “wood,” as we have already seen. The second part of the word, in, is used to denote chemicals. Lignin literally means “wood chemical.”

What are some words that use the combining form lign-?

  • ligneous (using the equivalent form of lign– in Latin)
  • lignite
  • lignum (using the equivalent form of lign– in Latin)
  • lignum vitae (using the equivalent form of lign– in Latin)

What are some other forms that lign– may be commonly confused with?

Break it down!

The suffix eous means “resembling, having the nature of.” With this in mind, what does ligneous mean?

How to use lign- in a sentence

  • Aloes: the fragrant resin of the agalloch or lign-aloe of Scripture.

  • But they were descried; M. de Lign told me of this, saying, 'I can see the two Herons up above still rising.

    Reptiles and Birds|Louis Figuier
FEEDBACK