touchwood

[ tuhch-wood ]

/ ˈtʌtʃˌwʊd /

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noun

wood converted into an easily ignitible substance by the action of certain fungi, and used as tinder; punk.

Mycology. amadou.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of touchwood

First recorded in 1570–80; touch + wood¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use touchwood in a sentence

There we made our bivouac with gingerbread, and milk warmed (and generally smoked) over a “touch-wood” fire.
Rustic Sounds|Francis Darwin
It is, I fancy, a cunning way of warding him off, just as the rest of us "touch wood" lest evil befall.
Windfalls|(AKA Alpha of the Plough) Alfred George Gardiner
But perhaps I had better touch wood over that, for one has to keep these days a wary eye on God.
In the Mountains|Elizabeth von Arnim
"Touch wood before you boast," but she stopped and caught me by the arm.
At the Age of Eve|Kate Trimble Sharber

If it were only this compulsion to touch wood I should not mind.
The Drunkard|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull

British Dictionary definitions for touchwood

touchwood

/ (ˈtʌtʃˌwʊd) /

noun

something, esp dry wood or fungus material such as amadou, used as tinder

Word Origin for touchwood

C16: touch (in the sense: to kindle) + wood 1

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