SINCE 1828
lignin
noun
lig·nin
| \ ˈlig-nən
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Definition of lignin
: an amorphous polymer related to cellulose that provides rigidity and together with cellulose forms the woody cell walls of plants and the cementing material between them
Examples of lignin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scientists discovered that gribbles use hemocyanins to attack the strong bonds of lignin. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "The Gribble Worm Could Hold Secrets for Cheaper Renewable Energy," 5 Dec. 2018 Beckham and his colleagues are looking to lignin, a durable polymer that makes trees and grasses stand tall, and could be used to make a whole suite of other plastics and useful materials. — Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Closing the loop on plastic recycling?," 5 July 2018 Without all that lignin, the woody material turned pure white, allowing it to reflect incoming light rather than absorb it (which also helps to block heat). — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "This is 'nanowood,' a new invention that could greatly reduce humanity's carbon footprint," 10 Mar. 2018 Instead, the main components of wood are cellulose and lignin. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Lumber’s lure: Thanks to physics, viable biofuel may grow in the woods," 5 Apr. 2018 Removing the lignin, a heat conductor, gave the resulting product powerful insulating capabilities. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "Could ‘Nanowood’ Replace Styrofoam?," 26 Mar. 2018 The first step in that process (as in Hu’s) is to remove lignin, a substance that not only stiffens wood but also creates its brownish color. — Sid Perkins, Scientific American, "Stronger Than Steel, Able to Stop a Speeding Bullet—It’s Super Wood!," 7 Feb. 2018 For the nanowood, the team removed the lignin, the polymer that holds the cellulose of wood together. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "Could ‘Nanowood’ Replace Styrofoam?," 26 Mar. 2018 But for this project, Hu and his colleagues removed all of the lignin and most of the hemicellulose. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "This is 'nanowood,' a new invention that could greatly reduce humanity's carbon footprint," 10 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lignin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for lignin
lignin
noun
lig·nin
| \ ˈlig-nən
\
\
Medical Definition of lignin
: an amorphous polymeric substance related to cellulose that together with cellulose forms the woody cell walls of plants and the cementing material between them
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