lignify

verb

lig·​ni·​fy ˈlig-nə-ˌfī How to pronounce lignify (audio)
lignified; lignifying

transitive verb

: to convert into wood or woody tissue

intransitive verb

: to become wood or woody
lignification
ˌlig-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce lignify (audio)
noun

Word History

Etymology

French lignifier, from Latin lignum

First Known Use

circa 1828, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of lignify was circa 1828

Dictionary Entries Near lignify

lignescent

lignify

lignin

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lignify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lignify. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on lignify

Britannica English: Translation of lignify for Arabic Speakers

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
silhouette of a man with a megaphone against a british flag
Another Great British Vocabulary Quiz, Innit? A double-decker quiz with words from across the pond