used to store, work, or carry wood: a wood chisel.
dwelling or growing in woods: wood bird.
verb (used with object)
to cover or plant with trees.
to supply with wood; get supplies of wood for.
verb (used without object)
to take in or get supplies of wood (often followed by up): to wood up before the approach of winter.
Idioms
have the wood on, AustralianSlang. to have an advantage over or have information that can be used against.
knock on wood, (used when knocking on something wooden to assure continued good luck): The car's still in good shape, knock on wood.Also especially British, touch wood.
out of the woods,
out of a dangerous, perplexing, or difficult situation; secure; safe.
no longer in precarious health or critical condition; out of danger and recovering.
Origin of wood
1
before 900;Middle English;Old Englishwudu, earlier widu; cognate with Old Norsevithr,Old High Germanwitu,Old Irishfid
Mrs Henry, married name of Ellen Price . 1814–87, British novelist, noted esp for the melodramatic novel East Lynne (1861)
Sir Henry (Joseph). 1869–1944, English conductor, who founded the Promenade Concerts in London
John, known as the Elder . 1707–54, British architect and town planner, working mainly in Bath, where he designed the North and South Parades (1728) and the Circus (1754)
his son, John, known as the Younger . 1727–82, British architect: designed the Royal Crescent (1767–71) and the Assembly Rooms (1769–71), Bath
Ralph. 1715–72, British potter, working in Staffordshire, who made the first toby jug (1762)
wood
1
noun
the hard fibrous substance consisting of xylem tissue that occurs beneath the bark in trees, shrubs, and similar plantsRelated adjectives: ligneous, xyloid
the trunks of trees that have been cut and prepared for use as a building material
a collection of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, etc, usually dominated by one or a few species of tree: usually smaller than a forestan oak wood Related adjective: sylvan
fuel; firewood
golf
a long-shafted club with a broad wooden or metal head, used for driving: numbered from 1 to 7 according to size, angle of face, etc
(as modifier)a wood shot
tennissquashbadmintonthe frame of a rackethe hit a winning shot off the wood
one of the biased wooden bowls used in the game of bowls
from the wood(of a beverage) from a wooden container rather than a metal or glass one
have the wood onorhave got the wood onAustralian and NZinformalto have an advantage over
out of the woodorout of the woodsclear of or safe from dangers or doubtswe're not out of the wood yet
see the wood for the trees(used with a negative)to obtain a general view of a situation, problem, etc, without allowing details to cloud one's analysishe can't see the wood for the trees
(modifier)made of, used for, employing, or handling wooda wood fire
(modifier)dwelling in, concerning, or situated in a wooda wood nymph
Old English wudu, earlier widu "tree, trees collectively, the substance of which trees are made," from Proto-Germanic *widuz (cf. Old Norse viðr, Danish and Swedish ved "tree, wood," Old High German witu "wood"), perhaps from PIE *widhu- "tree, wood" (cf. Welsh gwydd "trees," Gaelic fiodh- "wood, timber," Old Irish fid "tree, wood"). Woodsy is from 1860. Out of the woods "safe" is from 1792.
wood
adj.
"violently insane" (now obsolete), from Old English wod "mad, frenzied," from Proto-Germanic *woth- (cf. Gothic woþs "possessed, mad," Old High German wuot "mad, madness," German wut "rage, fury"), from PIE *wet- "to blow, inspire, spiritually arouse;" source of Latin vates "seer, poet," Old Irish faith "poet;" "with a common element of mental excitement" [Buck]. Cf. Old English woþ "sound, melody, song," and Old Norse oðr "poetry," and the god-name Odin.
The thick xylem of trees and shrubs, resulting from secondary growth by the vascular cambium, which produces new layers of living xylem. The accumulated living xylem is the sapwood. The older, dead xylem in the interior of the tree forms the heartwood. Often each cycle of growth of new wood is evident as a growth ring. The main components of wood are cellulose and lignin.
Some people say, “Knock on wood,” and then knock on something made of wood for good luck, when they have made a remark that has been true up to that point and they want it to continue to be true: “I've never had an accident yet, knock on wood.”
Note
The expression alludes to an ancient superstition that touching wood would ward off evil spirits.
Also, touch wood. Express a wish that something will or will not occur, as in This last round of treatment should have cured her, knock on wood. This expression alludes to an ancient superstition that literally knocking on or touching wood will ward off evil spirits. [c. 1900]
