wool

[ woo l ]

/ wʊl /

noun

the fine, soft, curly hair that forms the fleece of sheep and certain other animals, characterized by minute, overlapping surface scales that give it its felting property.

fabrics and garments of such wool.

yarn made of such wool.

any of various substances used commercially as substitutes for the wool of sheep or other animals.

any of certain vegetable fibers, as cotton or flax, used as wool, especially after preparation by special process (vegetable wool).

any finely fibrous or filamentous matter suggestive of the wool of sheep: glass wool; steel wool.

any coating of short, fine hairs or hairlike processes, as on a caterpillar or a plant; pubescence.

Informal. the human hair, especially when short, thick, and crisp.

Nearby words

woof, woofer, woofter, woohoo, wookey hole, wool, wool bale, wool cheque, wool classing, wool clip, wool fat

Idioms

all wool and a yard wide, genuine; excellent; sincere: He was a real friend, all wool and a yard wide.

dyed in the wool, inveterate; confirmed: a dyed in the wool sinner.

pull the wool over someone's eyes, to deceive or delude someone: The boy thought that by hiding the broken dish he could pull the wool over his mother's eyes.

Origin of wool

before 900; Middle English wolle, Old English wull(e), cognate with Dutch wol, German Wolle, Old Norse ull, Gothic wulla; akin to Latin lāna, Sanskrit ūrṇā, Welsh gwlân wool, Latin vellus fleece, Greek oúlos woolly

Related forms

wool·like, adjectivenon·wool, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for all wool and a yard wide

wool

/ (wʊl) /

noun

the outer coat of sheep, yaks, etc, which consists of short curly hairs

yarn spun from the coat of sheep, etc, used in weaving, knitting, etc

cloth or a garment made from this yarn
(as modifier)a wool dress

any of certain fibrous materialsglass wool; steel wool

informal short thick curly hair

a tangled mass of soft fine hairs that occurs in certain plants

dyed in the wool confirmed in one's beliefs or opinions

pull the wool over someone's eyes to deceive or delude someone

Derived Forms

wool-like, adjective

Word Origin for wool

Old English wull; related to Old Frisian, Middle Dutch wulle, Old High German wolla (German Wolle), Old Norse ull, Latin lāna and vellus fleece

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with all wool and a yard wide (1 of 2)

all wool and a yard wide

Genuine, not fake; of excellent quality; also, honorable. For example, You can count on Ned—he's all wool and a yard wide. This metaphorical term alludes to a length of highly valued pure-wool cloth that measures exactly a yard (and not an inch less). [Late 1800s]

Idioms and Phrases with all wool and a yard wide (2 of 2)

wool

see all wool and a yard wide; pull the wool over someone's eyes.