Wood
/wʊd/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe hard, fibrous substance beneath the bark of trees, used for various purposes like building, fuel, and making furniture.
/wʊd/
The hard fibrous substance forming the main substance of trees and shrubs.
The fireplace crackled with burning wood.
💡 Simply: Wood is like the skeleton of a tree. We use it to make lots of things, like houses, toys, and even paper! It comes from cutting down trees, so we have to be careful not to use too much.
👶 For kids: The stuff that trees are made of, like the trunk and branches.
More Examples
She used a piece of wood to prop open the door.
The sculptor carved a beautiful figure from the wood.
How It's Used
"The carpenter used wood to build the table."
"Deforestation leads to a decrease in the amount of wood available."
"Wood is a common material in construction."
A large area covered with trees; a forest or a grove.
/wʊd/
A forest or a large group of trees.
The children loved to play hide-and-seek in the wood.
💡 Simply: A wood is like a big park made of trees! It's a place with lots of trees close together, like a forest. You can go hiking in a wood and see lots of plants and animals.
👶 For kids: A bunch of trees growing together in one place.
More Examples
The old cabin was nestled deep within the wood.
Sunlight dappled through the trees in the wood.
How It's Used
"They wandered deep into the wood, searching for the lost treasure."
"The wood was filled with the sound of birdsong."
"The enchanted wood was rumored to hold magical creatures."
Idioms & expressions
out of the woods
Free from difficulty or danger; past a crisis.
"The company is finally out of the woods after restructuring and is now showing a profit."
touch wood
Said to bring good luck, especially after mentioning something good happening or about to happen.
"I've never been sick this year, touch wood."
From Old English *wudu* (masculine), from Proto-Germanic *wuduz*. Related to Gothic 𐍅𐌿𐌳𐌿 (wudu), Old Norse *viðr*, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wéydʰʰu- ('wood, tree').
The word 'wood' has been used in the English language for centuries, dating back to Old English. It has consistently referred to the substance of trees and to forested areas.
Memory tip
Think of a tree trunk. That's where wood comes from!
Word Origin
"tree; wood"