Firewood

/ˈfaɪərwʊd/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning3 questions

Definitions

1

Wood that is cut into pieces and used as fuel for a fire.

/ˈfaɪərwʊd/

nounneutralBeginner
General

Wood used as fuel for a fire.

They chopped a pile of firewood before the storm arrived.

💡 Simply: It's like the wood you chop up to burn in a fireplace or a campfire to keep warm or cook your food. You need it for the fire!

👶 For kids: Wood that you burn to make a fire.

More Examples

2

The family stocked up on firewood to prepare for the cold winter months.

3

We need to buy more firewood for the fireplace.

How It's Used

Household

"We gathered firewood to keep the cabin warm during the winter."

Camping

"Make sure you bring enough firewood if you want to have a campfire."

Historical

"Firewood was crucial for heating and cooking in earlier times."

From Middle English *firwode*, a compound of 'fire' and 'wood', reflecting its primary use as fuel.

Firewood has been used as a primary fuel source for heating and cooking throughout history, especially before the advent of fossil fuels. Mentions of it appear in texts relating to households and survival.

Memory tip

Think of the wood you use to start a fire.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"fire (fyr) + wood (wudu)"

chop firewoodgather firewoodstack firewooddry firewoodsplit firewood

Common misspellings

fire woodfire-wood

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written