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lignin

[ lig-nin ]
/ ˈlɪg nɪn /

noun

Botany. an organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief part of woody tissue.
Papermaking. impure matter found in wood pulp.

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Origin of lignin

First recorded in 1815–25; lign- + -in2

Words nearby lignin

ligneous, ligni-, lignicolous, ligniform, lignify, lignin, lignin sulfonate, lignite, lignivorous, ligno-, lignocaine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for lignin

British Dictionary definitions for lignin

lignin
/ (ˈlɪɡnɪn) /

noun

a complex polymer occurring in certain plant cell walls making the plant rigid
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 lignin

lignin
[ lĭg′nĭn ]

A complex organic compound that binds to cellulose fibers and hardens and strengthens the cell walls of plants. Lignin is a polymer consisting of various aromatic alcohols, and is the chief noncarbohydrate constituent of wood.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.