woodwork

American  

[wood-wurk] / ˈwʊdˌwɜrk /

noun

1. objects or parts made of wood.

2. the interior wooden fittings, especially of a house, as doors, stairways, or moldings.

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idioms

1. come out of the woodwork, to appear or materialize suddenly and unexpectedly.

   Since mortgage rates declined, prospective buyers have been coming out of the woodwork.

woodwork British  

/ ˈwʊdˌwɜːk /

noun

1. the art, craft, or skill of making things in wood; carpentry

2. components made of wood, such as doors, staircases, etc

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Etymology

Origin of woodwork

First recorded in 1640–50; wood ¹ + work

Example Sentences

They injected urgency far too late but could still have clinched the win, with substitute Nico O'Reilly heading against the woodwork and Marc Guehi's looping header being cleared off the line.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

“Dozens of residents have come out of the woodwork, and here’s what they all say: ‘We have called our city council person and various city departments repeatedly, over and over again.’”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2026

We stayed in a renovated two-bedroom home managed by MINNeSTAY that retained much of its historic charm, including beautiful woodwork, a formal dining room and a spacious kitchen.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

Sellers are coming out of the woodwork as they notice demand from buyers creeping up.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Miranda sat in her cubicle and listened as Laxmi kept telling her cousin that there were better men in the world, just waiting to come out of the woodwork.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• molding
• paneling
• staircase