softwood

[ sawft-woo d, soft- ]
/ ˈsɔftˌwʊd, ˈsɒft- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR softwood ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any wood that is relatively soft or easily cut.
a tree yielding such a wood.
Forestry. a coniferous tree or its wood.

adjective

of, relating to, or made of softwood.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of softwood

First recorded in 1825–35; soft + wood1

Words nearby softwood

softness, softs, software, software house, software platform, softwood, softy, sogat, sogdian, sogdiana, soggy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to softwood

sapling, shrub, wood, forest, timber, seedling, woods, pulp, stock, hardwood, topiary

Example sentences from the Web for softwood

British Dictionary definitions for softwood

softwood
/ (ˈsɒftˌwʊd) /

noun

the open-grained wood of any of numerous coniferous trees, such as pine and cedar, as distinguished from that of a dicotyledonous tree
any tree yielding this wood
Compare hardwood
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

Scientific definitions for softwood

softwood
[ sôft′wud′ ]

A coniferous tree, especially as distinguished from an angiosperm, or hardwood, tree.
The wood of a coniferous tree. Softwoods are in general softer than hardwoods. However, some softwoods, such as yew, are comparatively hard, while some hardwoods, such as basswood, are comparatively soft.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.