Lignify
/ˈlɪɡ.nɪ.faɪ/noun
To become woody or to make something woody.
Did you know?Lignify comes from Latin *lignum* meaning “wood,” the same root behind scientific words like *lignin*, the plant polymer that makes wood stiff and resistant to decay.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
lignum
“wood, timber”
Late Latin
Latin
lignificare
“to make woody”
Middle French
French
lignifier
“to make woody; to become woody”
17th Century
English
lignify
“to make or become woody”
Modern English
English
lignify
“to become woody or to make something woody”
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