driftwood

American  

[drift-wood] / ˈdrɪftˌwʊd /

noun

1. wood floating on a body of water or cast ashore by it.

2. such wood adapted for use in interior decoration.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or made of driftwood.

   a driftwood lamp.

driftwood British  

/ ˈdrɪftˌwʊd /

noun

1. wood floating on or washed ashore by the sea or other body of water

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Etymology

Origin of driftwood

First recorded in 1605–15; drift + wood ¹

Example Sentences

He built a hut of driftwood logs and good strong branches, with a palm-thatched roof and a hard dirt floor.

From Literature

Jonathan found a piece of driftwood, yelled, “Moose! Fetch!” and threw it into the lake.

From Literature

“The Housemaid” stumbles, and it doesn’t help that Sweeney spends much of the film meandering throughout its narrative like a piece of driftwood that keeps washing back onto the shore.

From Salon

The kraken laid her on a piece of driftwood, as carefully as a child laying down a doll.

From Literature

Soldiers and police had helped clear the debris and driftwood.

From Barron's

Related Words

• chunk
• piece
• timber
• wood