lignum vitae

American  

[lig-nuhm vahy-tee, vee-tahy] / ˈlɪg nəm ˈvaɪ ti, ˈvi taɪ /

noun

1. either of two tropical American trees, Guaiacum officinale or G. sanctum, of the caltrop family, having very hard, heavy wood.

2. the wood of such a tree, used for making pulley blocks, mallet heads, bearings, etc.

3. any of several other trees yielding a similar hard wood.

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lignum vitae British  

/ ˈlɪɡnəm ˈvaɪtɪ /

noun

1. either of two zygophyllaceous tropical American trees, Guaiacum officinale or G. sanctum, having blue or purple flowers

2. the heavy resinous wood of either of these trees, which is used in machine bearings, casters, etc: formerly thought to have medicinal properties

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Etymology

Origin of lignum vitae

1585–95; < New Latin, Late Latin, name of the tree, literally, wood of life

Example Sentences

The 1962 artwork was inspired by Dame Barbara's 1937 carving in lignum vitae of the same name, which is displayed at the Courtauld Gallery in London.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

From LA to Edinburgh Macdonald made at least one other sculpture of Parker, a full-length figure carved from lignum vitae, a dark hardwood.

From The Guardian • Mar. 21, 2010

Muir, 61, is a carver who penetrates a forest of woods: hard black walnut, violet kingwood, satiny lignum vitae, reddish cocobolo, Pernambuco wood, mahogany, apple, redwood and familiar trees.

From Time Magazine Archive

Most Congressmen bring their own bowling balls, of lignum vitae or composition rubber, in specially tailored leather cases.

From Time Magazine Archive

There he crouched and reached inside the sleeve of his coat for the short, heavy stick of lignum vitae he carried along his left forearm.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman