Lexical Definition

‎ὕλη‎ hýlē (hoo-lay') forest ^G:N-F
perhaps akin to ‎ξύλον‎

matter.

• a forest, i.e. (by implication) fuel

Abbott-Smith

ὕλη, -ης, ἡ [in LXX: Jb 19:29 (†) 38:40 (סֻכָּה), Ps 68 (69):2* Blא(יָוֵן), Is 10:17 (שָׁמִיר), Wi 11:17 15:13, Si 28:10, II Mac 2:24, IV Mac 1:29 * ;]
1. wood, forest, woodland (Thuc., Xen., al.).
2. wood, timber, fuel (Hom., Hdt., Thuc., al.): Ja 3:5 (v. Hort, Ja., 70, 104 f.).
3. = Lat. materia, esp. in Philosophy, matter (Arist. and later writers; Wi, ll. c.).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

ὕλη [ῡ], ἡ,

forest, woodland, [ὕλης ἀγρίης ζώειν [prev. author] 1.203 ">NT+8th c.BC+]; ὕλα ἀεργός virgin forest, [Refs]; τὰ δένδρα καὶ ὕλη fruit-trees and forest-trees, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; not only of forest-trees, but also of copse, brushwood, undergrowth (compare ὕλημα), directly opposed to to timber-trees, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: also in plural, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

__II wood cut down, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; firewood, fuel, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; brushwood, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; timber, ὕ. ναυπηγησίμη [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also, twigs for birds' nests, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__III the stuff of which a thing is made, material, (perhaps so of wood), [Refs 8th c.BC+]; rarely of other material, as metal, οἱ παρ᾽ ἄκμονι.. ὕλην ἄψυχον δημιουργοῦντες [ὕλη is Plutarch's word)">Refs 5th c.BC+]: generally, materials, [Refs 6th c.AD+]
__III.2 in Philosophy, matter, first in [Refs 5th c.BC+]; defined as τὸ ὑποκείμενον γενέσεως καὶ φθορᾶς δεκτικόν, [Refs]; as τὸ ἐζ οὗ γίγνεται, [Refs] in later philosophical writers, mostly opposed to to the intelligent and formative principle (νοῦς), [Refs 4th c.AD+]
__III.3 matter for a poem or treatise, ὕ. τραγική, ποιητικαὶ ὗλαι, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἡ ὑποκειμένη ὕ. the subject-matter, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.4 ὕ. ἰατρική materia medica, Dsc.at Title Page; so ὕλη alone, materia medica, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ὗλαι τῆς τέχνης [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__III.4.b ἡ μέση ὕλη the middle range of diet, [ὕλη [prev. author] 1.95, compare 36. ">Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__III.5 plural, material resources, βασιλικαὶ ὗλαι [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__IV sediment, [Refs 5th c.BC+] (ἀφ-, δι-), ὑλώδης [Refs]; mud, slime, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ὕλῃ, ὕλει, and ἰλυῖ are conjecture for ὕδει in [Refs 6th c.BC+]
__IV.2 matter excreted from the human body, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; phlegm, catarrh, PMed. in [Refs 3rd c.AD+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Jas.3.5}