Before a vowel xyl-, repr. Gr. ξυλο-, ξυλ-, comb. form of ξύλον wood: the first element of various scientific and technical words, the more important of which see in their alphabetical places. Xylochlore Min. [ad. G. xylochlor (von Waltershausen, 1853), f. Gr. χλωρός green], an altered form of apophyllite, found in olive-green crystals in a fossil tree-stem in a volcanic rock in Iceland. Xylochloric (-chloeric) a. Chem. [ad. F. xylochlorique, -chloérique, f. Gr. χλοερός = χλωρός green], in x. acid: see quots. Xylochrome Chem. [Gr. χρῶμα color], a coloring matter produced by chemical alteration of decayed wood. Xylocopid a. Entom. [mod.L. Xylocopa; Gr. -κοπος cutting, -ID3], belonging or related to the genus Xylocopa, comprising the carpenter-bees. Xylocryptite Min. [Gr. κρυπτός hidden: see -ITE1]: see quots. Xylolite Min. [-LITE]: see quot. Xylophilan Entom. [Gr. φίλος loving: cf. -PHIL], a. belonging to the group Xylophili of beetles, which live in decayed wood; sb. a beetle of this group; so Xylophilous a., living or growing in or on wood, as an insect or a fungus. Xylopolist rare-0 [Gr. ξυλοπώλης], a timber-merchant. Xylopyrography [Gr. πῦρ fire, -GRAPHY] = POKER-WORK. Xyloretin, -retinite Chem. [G. xyloretin (Forchhammer, 1840), Gr. ῥητΐνη resin], a white crystalline resin obtained from fossil pine-wood. ǁ Xylostroma Bot. [mod.L., f. Gr. στρῶμα something spread out, a bed, coverlet], the mycelium of certain polyporoid fungi (originally supposed a distinct genus) which forms a dense leathery sheet on the surface of wood; hence Xylostromatoid a. [-OID], resembling a xylostroma. Xylotherapy Med. [Gr. θεραπεία healing], the use of certain kinds of wood in the cure of disease (see quot.). Xylotile, -til Min. [G. xylotil; Gr. τίλος down, fine hair], a mineral allied to (or a variety of) asbestos, also called mountain-wood. Xylotomous a. [Gr. -τομος cutting], that cuts or pierces wood, as an insect. Xylotypographic a. [TYPOGRAPHIC], printed from wooden blocks or types.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 1060. *Xylochlore.… Kenngott … has shown that it is an altered form of apophyllite. Ibid. (1862), trans. Gmelin’s Hand-bk. Chem., XV. 534. *Xylochloric acid. C30H26O34?… A green colouring matter, which sometimes forms on decayed pieces of wood. Ibid. (1868), Dict. Chem., V. 1060. Xylochloric acid, a term applied by Fordos … to the green colouring-matter of decayed wood, which may be extracted by chloroform.
1898. H. C. Porter, trans. Strasburger’s Text-Bk. Bot., 124. The tannins impart to the dead wood a distinct colour, often very characteristic, especially when it has been transformed into wood dyes, or so-called *xylochrome.
1904. Athenæum, 24 Dec., 881/1. A photograph … showing the *Xylocopid model and its Asilid mimic.
1820. Q. Jrnl. Sci. Lit. & Arts, VIII. 352. It may be named provisionally *Xylocryptite, expressive of its being hidden in fossil wood.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 1060. Xylocryptite, a mineral apparently related to Scheererite, occurring in yellow waxy crystalline particles on lignite. (Becquerel.) Ibid., 1061. *Xylolite. Syn. with mountain-wood, or ligniform asbestos.
1842. Brande, Dict. Sci., etc., *Xylophilans,… the name of a tribe of beetles, consisting of those which live on decayed wood.
1862. Mayne, Med. Vocab. (ed. 2), Xylophilus … growing upon, or living in decayed wood; *xylophilous.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., *Xylopolist … a Woodmonger.
1850. Ogilvie, *Xylopyrography.
1901. Daily Chron., 27 May, 6/1. [Baron Auer’s] father was … an inventor in typography and xylopyrography.
1852. W. Gregory, Handbk. Org. Chem., 417. Tekoretine, Phylloretine, Xyloretine, and Boloretine, are the names of four resinous compounds, found in the peat of Denmark, on the remains of pine-trees.
1868. Dana, Min. (ed. 5), 743. Xyloretinite was derived by Forchhammer through the action of alcohol on fossil pine-wood from the marshes of Holtegaard in Denmark.
1871. Cooke, Handbk. Brit. Fungi, I. 282. Polyporus vitreus…. ‘Glassy Polyporus.’… Distinguished by its distinct *xylostromatoid sub-stratum, which separates easily from the matrix.
1880. Boston Jrnl. Chem., Dec., 144. At a recent meeting of the Société de Thérapeutique M. Dujardin-Beaumetz read for M. Jourdanis a note on the æsthesiogenic properties of certain woods applied to the skin, which he calls *xylotherapy. M. Jourdanis has applied plates of wood to the insensible skin, and as with plates of metal, magnets,… and blisters has obtained a return of sensibility.
1864. Webster, *Xylotile.
1868. Dana, Min. (ed. 5), 406. Xylotile … is probably only an altered asbestus. It occurs delicately fibrous;… wood-brown, light or dark, and also green in color.
1872. W. Skeen, Early Typogr., 417. The *xylotypographic text.
