Woody Describes Plants That Build Permanent Stems
Woody means made of or resembling wood. In botany it marks a fundamental division between plant types.
Woody means made of wood, resembling wood, or covered in trees. Botany uses it as a fundamental division: woody plants build permanent stems reinforced with lignin and survive from year to year above ground, while *herbaceous* plants die back to the ground each winter. That single difference separates trees and shrubs from almost everything else in a garden. *Woody* also describes a wine or perfume with the scent of wood, and a *woody* landscape is one with many trees.
- Made of wood. *A woody stem.*
- Covered in trees. *A woody hillside.*
- Herbaceous — the opposite. *Herbaceous.*
- Lignin — what makes wood rigid. *Lignin.*
- Old English — *wudu*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | woody | Woody. |
| Comparative | woodier | Woodier. |
| Base | wood | Wood. |
| Related | wooded | Wooded. |
| Opposite | herbaceous | Herbaceous. |
- The stems turn woody with age.Botany.
- A woody hillside above the village.Landscape.
- The wine has a woody note.Tasting.
Woody and herbaceous plants
- Woody — permanent lignified stems, surviving winter above ground
- Herbaceous — soft stems dying back each year
- Trees and shrubs are woody
- Most flowers and vegetables are herbaceous
- Lignin is the polymer that makes the difference
From *wood*, Old English *wudu*, a tree or forest, plus the adjective suffix *-y*.
What makes a plant woody?
Lignin, a polymer that stiffens cell walls, letting the plant build permanent stems that survive from year to year.
What is the opposite?
Herbaceous. Those plants have soft stems and die back to ground level each winter.