Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Wood-eating; living in and devouring wood, either in a growing tree or in cut timber, as the larvæ of many insects; xylophagous.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective That feeds on wood.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Same with lignivorous/xylophagous, herbivorous/phytophagous, and of course carnivorous/sarcophagous.

    languagehat.com: VEGAN. 2005

  • On the European lignivorous insects, see Siemoni, Manuale d'Arte Forestale, 2d edizione, pp. 369-379.

    Earth as Modified by Human Action, The~ Chapter 03 (historical) 1874

  • "Having, for fifteen years," says the latter author, "incessantly studied the habits of lignivorous insects in one of the best wooded regions of France, I have observed facts enough to feel myself warranted in expressing my conclusions, which are: that insects in general -- I am trees in sound health, and they assail those only whose normal conditions and functions have been by some cause impaired."

    Earth as Modified by Human Action, The~ Chapter 02 (historical) 1874

  • The lignivorous insects that attack living trees almost uniformly confine their ravages to trees already unsound or diseased in growth from the depredations of leaf-eaters, such as caterpillars and the like, or from other causes.

    Earth as Modified by Human Action, The~ Chapter 02 (historical) 1874

  • The lignivorous insects that attack living trees almost uniformly confine their ravages to trees already unsound or diseased in growth from the depredations of leaf-eaters, such as caterpillars and the like, or from other causes.

    The Earth as Modified by Human Action George P. Marsh 1841

  • European lignivorous insects, see Siemoni, Manuale d'Arte Forestale, 2d edizione, pp. 369-379.]

    The Earth as Modified by Human Action George P. Marsh 1841

  • "Having, for fifteen years," says the latter author, "incessantly studied the habits of lignivorous insects in one of the best wooded regions of

    The Earth as Modified by Human Action George P. Marsh 1841

Comments

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  • I woodn't eat that.

    September 2, 2008

  • Interesting that this means "wood-eating". In Slovene the word ligenj means squid, so I thought this referred to someone who eats calamari. It turns out that the Slovene word probably derives from some Dalmatian word related to Old Italian lolligine (this information comes from Marko Snoj's Slovene Etymological Dictionary).

    September 2, 2008

  • "Squid-eating" would be 'loliginivorous' (Latin loligo, loligin-).

    September 2, 2008

  • Now there's a fun word. Thanks, q!

    September 2, 2008