ligno-
AmericanUsage
What does ligno- mean? Ligno- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “wood.” It is very occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology. Ligno- 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 ligno-?When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, ligno- becomes lign-, as in lignin. In most instances, ligno- is ligni-, as in lignify. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on lign- and ligni-.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These nitrates resemble those of cellulose, and are in all essential points nitrates of ligno- cellulose.
From Nitro-Explosives: A Practical Treatise by Sanford, P. Gerald (Percy Gerald)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
