houtige

Houtige is a Dutch adjective meaning woody or wood-like. It describes objects, materials, or substances that have the properties of wood, or that resemble wood in texture, composition, or appearance. The term derives from hout (wood) with the adjectival suffix -ige and is commonly used in everyday language as well as in specialist descriptions.

In material terms, houtige describes things made of wood or with a wood-like structure, such as furniture, panels, or building materials, and is used to signal a natural, fibrous character. In sensory contexts, houtige refers to smell or taste that evokes wood, for example een houtige geur (woody scent) or een houtige smaak (woody flavor). The term is frequent in classifications of wines, whiskies, and other aged beverages where aging in wooden barrels can impart woody notes, as well as in perfumery and flavor science.

In botany and ecology, houtige serves to distinguish woody plants and tissues—plants that develop secondary growth and lignified stems—from herbaceous forms. It is commonly used in Dutch plant descriptions and floristics.

The word is native to Dutch and is typically used in neutral, descriptive contexts. An English equivalent is woody, and similar terms appear in many languages to describe wood-related characteristics. Houtige is generally not used as a proper noun.