hardwood

American  

[hahrd-wood] / ˈhɑrdˌwʊd /

noun

1. the hard, compact wood or timber of various trees, as the oak, cherry, maple, or mahogany.

2. a tree yielding such wood.

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adjective

1. made or constructed of hardwood.

   a hardwood floor.

hardwood British  

/ ˈhɑːdˌwʊd /

noun

1. the wood of any of numerous broad-leaved dicotyledonous trees, such as oak, beech, ash, etc, as distinguished from the wood of a conifer

2. any tree from which this wood is obtained

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hardwood Scientific  

/ härd′wd′ /

1. A eudicot or magnoliid tree, especially as distinguished from a coniferous, or softwood, tree.

2. The wood of a eudicot or magnoliid tree. Hardwoods are in general harder than softwood. However, some hardwoods, such as basswood, are comparatively soft, while some softwoods, such as yew, are comparatively hard.

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Etymology

Origin of hardwood

First recorded in 1560–70; hard + wood ¹

Example Sentences

Her criteria was specific: A 1920s or 1930s Spanish-style studio with oversize windows, lots of natural light, a fireplace, hardwood floors and character-rich tile work.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Early in the process, Quezon, a historian and grandson of a former Philippine president, learned to his dismay that the local hardwood and water-resistant species used to build the galleons had long been wiped out.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Although Weyerhaeuser’s hardwood forests in New England and West Virginia are logged selectively and naturally regenerate, its coniferous timberlands in the South and Pacific Northwest are clear-cut and replanted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

The description notes that the home comes equipped with “top-of-the-line finishes and fixtures,” as well as hardwood floors and “walls of glass.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The shelves of books, the hardwood floor, the throw rug, the couch.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

Related Words

• forest
• sapling
• seedling
• shrub
• timber
• wood