lignify

WOTD – 15 July 2006    

English

Etymology

From Latin līgnum "wood" + -ify

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlɪɡnɪfaɪ/

• Audio (US)

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Verb

lignify (third-person singular simple present lignifies, present participle lignifying, simple past and past participle lignified)

1. (intransitive) To become wood.
2. (intransitive), (botany): To develop woody tissue as a result of incrustation of lignin during secondary growth.
3. (intransitive), (by extension): To become rigid or fixed, like something made of wood.
4. (transitive) To turn into wood; to make ligneous.

Related terms

• lignification

Translations

to become wood

• Chinese: 木化
• Dutch: verhouten (nl)

• French: lignifier (fr)
• Russian: деревянеть (ru) (derevjanetʹ), деревенеть (ru) (derevenetʹ)