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

The native dress is made of the bark of trees, smashed with stones, to extract the ligneous parts.

From The Philippine Islands by Foreman, John

It rises to the height of three or four feet; the branches which when young are succulent become ligneous by age: these flowers which appear early in the summer produce ripe seeds in the autumn.

From The Botanical Magazine Vol. 7 or, Flower-Garden Displayed by Curtis, William

In the preparation of archil liquor the principles which yield the dye are separated from the ligneous tissue of the lichens, agitated with a hot ammoniacal solution, and exposed to the action of air.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4 "Aram, Eugene" to "Arcueil" by Various