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.

Example Sentences

He was educated during youthful travels through Western Europe, and loathed the Slavic, ligneous chaos of Moscow.

From Newsweek

Baba’s lips, formed from the tree trunk’s bark, were pressed tight, his ligneous face full of a quiet sadness.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

With the diminished moisture the green gardens of France are replaced in Gobi by ligneous plants covered with a gray down.

From History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume I (of 2) Revised Edition by Draper, John William

Some may make the ungracious remark that she might have spared herself this task of humanizing; that she could have left these "ligneous Christians," these creatures of tar and turpentine, where she found them.

From Confessions Of Con Cregan An Irish Gil Blas by Lever, Charles James

It grows to the height of about four feet, has a stem imperfectly ligneous, without branches.

From The History of Sumatra Containing An Account Of The Government, Laws, Customs And Manners Of The Native Inhabitants by Marsden, William