woolen

American  

[wool-uhn] / ˈwʊl ən /

especially British, woollen

noun

1. any cloth of carded wool yarn of which the fibers vary in length: bulkier, looser, and less regular than worsted.

2. woolens, wool cloth or clothing.

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adjective

1. made or consisting of wool.

   woolen cloth.

2. of or relating to wool or woolen fabrics.

Other Word Forms

• half-woolen adjective

Etymology

Origin of woolen

before 1050; Middle English wollen (adj. and noun), Old English wullen, wyllen (noun). See wool, -en ²

Example Sentences

By the 1980s tiny Mauritius, with a population of approximately one million, became the third-largest exporter of woolen knitwear in the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

These materials are the difference between a dark winter sweater and a bright summer tank top, a luxurious cashmere scarf versus rough woolen mittens.

From Slate • Sep. 2, 2025

After her show, she walked off stage and someone draped woolen garments over her shoulders to shield her from the evening chill.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2024

An only child, her parents were woolen mill workers in Dewsbury, a town southwest of Leeds, and she left school at 16 to become a dancer.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2023

The German people have been asked to donate woolen and fur clothing for the soldiers at the Russian front, where winter comes early.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti