lignify

[ lig-nuh-fahy ]

verb (used with object),lig·ni·fied, lig·ni·fy·ing.
  1. to convert into wood; cause to become woody.

verb (used without object),lig·ni·fied, lig·ni·fy·ing.
  1. to become wood or woody.

Origin of lignify

1
First recorded in 1820–30; ligni- + -fy

Other words from lignify

  • lig·ni·fi·ca·tion, noun
  • un·lig·ni·fied, adjective

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How to use lignify in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lignify

lignify

/ (ˈlɪɡnɪˌfaɪ) /


verb-fies, -fying or -fied
  1. botany to make or become woody as a result of the deposition of lignin in the cell walls

Derived forms of lignify

  • lignification, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for lignify

lignify

[ lĭgnə-fī′ ]


  1. To make or become stiffer and stronger by the deposition of lignin.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.