woolly

American  

[wool-ee] / ˈwʊl i /

Or wooly

adjective

woollier, woolliest

1. consisting of wool.

   a woolly fleece.

2. resembling wool in texture or appearance.

   woolly hair.

3. clothed or covered with wool or something resembling it.

   a woolly caterpillar.

4. Botany. covered with a pubescence of long, soft hairs resembling wool.

5. like the rough, vigorous atmosphere of the early West in America.

   wild and woolly.

6. fuzzy; unclear; disorganized.

   woolly thinking.

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noun

woollies plural

1. Western U.S. a wool-bearing animal; sheep.

2. Usually woollies. a knitted undergarment of wool or other fiber.

3. any woolen garment, as a sweater.

4. Dialect. a dust ball.

woolly British  

/ ˈwʊlɪ /

adjective

1. consisting of, resembling, or having the nature of wool

2. covered or clothed in wool or something resembling it

3. lacking clarity or substance

   woolly thinking

4. botany covered with long soft whitish hairs

   woolly stems

5. recalling the rough and lawless period of the early West of America (esp in the phrase wild and woolly )

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noun

1. (often plural) a garment, such as a sweater, made of wool or something similar

2. (usually plural) an informal word for sheep

Regionalisms

See dust ball.

Other Word Forms

• woollily
  adverb
• woolliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of woolly

First recorded in 1580–90; wool + -y ¹

Explanation

If something is woolly, it's covered in (or made of) soft, curly fur. Don't forget to wear your woolly hat — it's cold out there! You can use this adjective for anything made from wool, like your favorite woolly sweater or the woolly socks your grandma knits. It's also useful for things that look or feel like a sheep's woolly coat: "Look at those strange, woolly clouds!" "He shaved his woolly beard off!" Informally, it can be a great way to describe confusion or befuddlement, like the woolly thoughts that go through your mind when you're absolutely exhausted.

Example Sentences

Woolly dogs themselves possessed spiritual significance and were often treated as beloved family members.

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2023

Woolly dog blankets were exclusively woven by high-status Coast Salish women.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 13, 2023

“It became clear that we need to change the relationship of the American theater to the federal government,” Maria Manuela Goyanes, artistic director of Washington, D.C.’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre, said of the coalition’s formation.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2023

When “Just for Us” ran in Washington, D.C., it became the second-highest-grossing show in Woolly Mammoth Theater’s 43-year history.

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2023

“Had a Woolly monkey down the end that died from pneumonia too,” the attendant muttered, almost to himself.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

Related Words

• flocculent