LIGNUM VITAE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lignum vitae mean? 

• LIGNUM VITAE (noun)
  The noun LIGNUM VITAE has 2 senses:

1. hard greenish-brown wood of the lignum vitae tree and other trees of the genus Guaiacum

2. small evergreen tree of Caribbean and southern Central America to northern South America; a source of lignum vitae wood, hardest of commercial timbers, and a medicinal resin

  Familiarity information: LIGNUM VITAE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LIGNUM VITAE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hard greenish-brown wood of the lignum vitae tree and other trees of the genus Guaiacum

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

guaiac; guaiacum; lignum vitae

Hypernyms ("lignum vitae" is a kind of...):

wood (the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees)

Holonyms ("lignum vitae" is a substance of...):

Guaiacum officinale; lignum vitae (small evergreen tree of Caribbean and southern Central America to northern South America; a source of lignum vitae wood, hardest of commercial timbers, and a medicinal resin)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Small evergreen tree of Caribbean and southern Central America to northern South America; a source of lignum vitae wood, hardest of commercial timbers, and a medicinal resin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Guaiacum officinale; lignum vitae

Hypernyms ("lignum vitae" is a kind of...):

angiospermous tree; flowering tree (any tree having seeds and ovules contained in the ovary)

Meronyms (substance of "lignum vitae"):

guaiac; guaiacum; lignum vitae (hard greenish-brown wood of the lignum vitae tree and other trees of the genus Guaiacum)

guaiacum (medicinal resin from the lignum vitae tree)

Holonyms ("lignum vitae" is a member of...):

genus Guaiacum; Guaiacum (small genus of evergreen resinous trees or shrubs of warm and tropical America)