Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of several tropical American trees of the genus Guaiacum, especially G. officinale or G. sanctum, having evergreen leaves and very heavy, durable, resinous wood.
- noun The wood of any of these trees, the hardest of commercial woods.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The
guaiacum tree. - noun The wood or resin from such a tree.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[New Latin lignum vītae : Latin lignum, wood + Latin vītae, genitive of vīta, life.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Latin lignum ("wood") vitae ("of life").
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Examples
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gangerh commented on the word lignum vitae
Curriculignum vitae? The life of wood?
March 13, 2008