resinous

Think of a pine tree: a sharp, clean smell in the air and a sticky substance coming from the bark. Something resinous contains resin or seems like it. It often describes wood, plants, smoke, or materials that feel a little sticky and have a strong pine-like or woody smell.

The word is also used for products made with resin, such as varnish, glue, or incense. A room might smell resinous if fresh pine boards were cut nearby. A piece of wood might be called resinous if it contains a lot of sap-like material.

The word resinous describes something that contains resin, is like resin, or is made from it. Resin is a sticky substance produced by many plants, especially pine and other conifer trees. If you walk through a pine forest on a warm day and notice the sharp scent in the air and the sticky feel of the bark, you are experiencing something resinous.

The word is often used for wood, plant material, smoke, and manufactured products. Resinous wood may burn with a strong smell because it contains a lot of resin. Incense can be resinous when it comes from hardened plant gums and gives off a rich, fragrant smoke. Varnish, glue, and similar materials may also be called resinous when resin is part of what gives them their thickness, shine, or smell.

Something described as resinous is not always pure resin. The word can simply point to the usual qualities of resin: stickiness, a glossy look, and a strong woody or pine-like smell. A freshly cut pine board, a lump of incense, or a coat of varnish can all be described this way.

In ordinary English, the word is mostly used in a literal sense. It helps describe natural substances and materials that have the sticky, fragrant, sap-like character of resin.