Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

wood|louse /wʊ dlaʊs/ (woodlice /wʊ dla I s/) N‑COUNT A woodlouse is a very small grey creature with a hard body and fourteen legs. Woodlice live in damp places.

wood|pecker /wʊ dpekə ^r / (woodpeckers ) N‑COUNT A woodpecker is a type of bird with a long sharp beak. Woodpeckers use their beaks to make holes in tree trunks.

wood|pile /wʊ dpa I l/ (woodpiles ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A woodpile is a pile of wood that is intended to be burnt on a fire as fuel.

woo d pulp N‑UNCOUNT Wood pulp is wood that has been cut up into small pieces and crushed. Wood pulp is used to make paper.

wood|shed /wʊ dʃed/ (woodsheds ) N‑COUNT A woodshed is a small building which is used for storing wood for a fire.

woo d stove (wood stoves ) in AM, also use woodstove N‑COUNT A wood stove is a device that burns wood in order to heat a room.

wood|wind /wʊ dw I nd/ (woodwinds )

1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Woodwind instruments are musical instruments such as flutes, clarinets, and recorders that you play by blowing into them.

2 N‑SING The woodwind is the section of an orchestra which consists of woodwind instruments such as flutes and clarinets.

wood|work /wʊ dwɜː ^r k/

1 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to the doors and other wooden parts of a house as the woodwork . □  I love the living room, with its dark woodwork, oriental rugs, and chunky furniture. □  He could see the glimmer of fresh paint on the woodwork.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Woodwork is the activity or skill of making things out of wood. □  I have done woodwork for many years.

3 PHRASE If you say that people are coming out of the woodwork , you are criticizing them for suddenly appearing in public or revealing their opinions when previously they did not make themselves known. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  Since I've had this column, several people from my past have come out of the woodwork.

wood|worm /wʊ dwɜː ^r m/ (woodworms or woodworm )

1 N‑COUNT Woodworm are very small creatures which make holes in wood by eating it.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Woodworm is damage caused to wood, especially to the wooden parts of a house or to furniture, by woodworm making holes in the wood. □  …treating the ground floor of a house for woodworm.

woody /wʊ di/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Woody plants have very hard stems. □  Care must be taken when trimming around woody plants like shrubs and trees.

2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A woody area has a lot of trees in it. □  …the wet and woody Vosges mountains.

woof /wʊ f/ N‑SING ; N‑COUNT Woof is the sound that a dog makes when it barks. [INFORMAL ] □  She started going 'woof woof'.

wool /wʊ l/ (wools )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Wool is the hair that grows on sheep and on some other animals.

2 N‑VAR Wool is a material made from animal's wool that is used to make things such as clothes, blankets, and carpets. □  …a wool overcoat. □  The carpets are made in wool and nylon.

3 → see also cotton wool , steel wool , wire wool

4 PHRASE If you say that someone is pulling the wool over your eyes , you mean that they are trying to deceive you, in order to have an advantage over you. □  Stop trying to pull the wool over my eyes! What were you two fighting about just now?

wool|len /wʊ lən/ (woollens ) in AM, use woolen 1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Woollen clothes or materials are made from wool or from a mixture of wool and artificial fibres. □  …thick woollen socks.

2 N‑PLURAL Woollens are clothes, especially sweaters, that are made of wool. □  …winter woollens.

wool|ly /wʊ li/ (woollies ) in AM, also use wooly 1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is woolly is made of wool or looks like wool. □  She wore this woolly hat with pompoms.

2 N‑COUNT A woolly is a woollen piece of clothing, especially a sweater. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

3 ADJ If you describe a person or their ideas as woolly , you are criticizing them for being confused or vague. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  …a weak and woolly Government.