Lignum Vitae (Noun)
Meaning 1
Hard greenish-brown wood of the lignum vitae tree and other trees of the genus Guaiacum.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Lignum vitae was highly valued in the 19th and 20th centuries for its strength and durability, making it a prize commodity for ship's blocks and propeller shaft bearings.
- The lignum vitae trees in the garden had been there for centuries, their valuable wood never to be harvested, as they were now a protected species.
- Lignum vitae, also known as greenheart, was the hardwood that allowed old sailing ships to bear the immense stress and friction of block-and-tackle under storm conditions.
- The ship's engineer was on the lookout for a piece of lignum vitae that could replace the worn-out propeller shaft bearing, a notoriously difficult part to find.
- Steamships in the 19th century found lignum vitae to be an excellent material for the stern tubes of their propellers, where friction generated immense heat.
Synonyms
Meaning 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.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The lignum vitae is a small evergreen tree native to the Caribbean and southern Central America, prized for its extremely hard wood.
- Lignum vitae wood is highly valued for its durability and resistance to rot, making it ideal for shipbuilding and other applications.
- The resin of the lignum vitae tree has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat a variety of ailments, including fever and rheumatism.
- In the 18th century, lignum vitae was a highly sought-after timber, leading to widespread deforestation in the Caribbean.
- The heartwood of the lignum vitae tree is particularly dense, with a Janka hardness rating of over 4,500 pounds per square inch.