wool

[ wool ]

/ wʊl /

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noun

the fine, soft, curly hair that forms the fleece of sheep and certain other animals, characterized by minute, overlapping surface scales that give it its felting property.

fabrics and garments of such wool.

yarn made of such wool.

any of various substances used commercially as substitutes for the wool of sheep or other animals.

any of certain vegetable fibers, as cotton or flax, used as wool, especially after preparation by special process (vegetable wool ).

any finely fibrous or filamentous matter suggestive of the wool of sheep: glass wool; steel wool.

any coating of short, fine hairs or hairlike processes, as on a caterpillar or a plant; pubescence.

Informal. the human hair, especially when short, thick, and crisp.

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

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Idioms about wool

all wool and a yard wide, genuine; excellent; sincere: He was a real friend, all wool and a yard wide.

dyed in the wool, inveterate; confirmed: a dyed in the wool sinner.

pull the wool over someone's eyes, to deceive or delude someone: The boy thought that by hiding the broken dish he could pull the wool over his mother's eyes.

Origin of wool

before 900; Middle English wolle,Old English wull(e), cognate with Dutch wol,German Wolle,Old Norse ull,Gothic wulla; akin to Latin lāna,Sanskrit ūrṇā,Welsh gwlân wool, Latin vellus fleece, Greek oúlos woolly

OTHER WORDS FROM wool

woollike, adjectivenon·wool, adjective

Words nearby wool

woof, woofer, woofter, woo-hoo, Wookey Hole, wool, wool bale, wool cheque, wool classing, wool clip, woolen

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

How to use wool in a sentence

Flannel, made from a mixture of cotton and wool, is also soft, low-maintenance, and will keep you warm.
Best weighted blanket: Sleep like a baby with our comfy bedding picks|PopSci Commerce Team|February 12, 2021|Popular-Science
In warm weather, wool draws moisture away from your body and facilitates evaporation by spreading that moisture out across a larger surface area.
The Kora Xenolith Is My Secret Weapon Against the Cold|Wes Siler|February 2, 2021|Outside Online
It’s made from materials that would otherwise go to waste—cashmere scraps that are sorted by color, shredded, and mixed with a small amount of wool for strength.
Blair Braverman's Favorite Soft Winter Gear|Blair Braverman|January 31, 2021|Outside Online
If you live in a relatively dry cold place, look for a wool exterior, this will keep any heat from escaping.
Best winter hats: Comfortable hats to keep you warm|Carsen Joenk|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science

Merino wool has become a very popular base-layer material, and it’s much better than cotton.
Dress like an Alaskan to weather the winter cold|By Tyler Freel/Outdoor Life|January 20, 2021|Popular-Science
Turns out that wool regulates temperature, repels water, wicks away moisture, and resists stains and dirt.
The Coolest Fashion Innovations of 2014|Raquel Laneri|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The resulting Wool Runners were comfortable, eco-friendly, machine-washable, and super cute—and sold out almost immediately.
The Coolest Fashion Innovations of 2014|Raquel Laneri|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The wool design by Maddalena Forcella brings to mind the gang warfare and violence that has plagued Mexico.
Shining a Spotlight on Mexico’s Iconic Textile—the Rebozo|Liza Foreman|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Plus, as Middleton says, “Many great vintage and the Burberry come with wool linings.”
An Ode to the Trench Coat: The Burberry vs. The Lloyd Dobler|Sara Lieberman|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ted tugged at the brass buttons of her red, wool-crepe dress.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So Hettie put the chicken in a cage, with some wool to cover it, and fed it several times every day, till it came to know her.
The Nursery, July 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 1|Various
Cuss him to-night, ef he's alive; an' ef his bed is soff' as wool, doan let him sleep for thinkin' of Miss Dory.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
They placed cotton and fine wool all about the room, and even endeavoured to construct small nests of wool and horsehair.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
A highly curious report on the importation of silks and the exportation of wool was soon presented to the House.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for wool

wool

/ (wʊl) /

noun

the outer coat of sheep, yaks, etc, which consists of short curly hairs

yarn spun from the coat of sheep, etc, used in weaving, knitting, etc

cloth or a garment made from this yarn
(as modifier)a wool dress

any of certain fibrous materialsglass wool; steel wool

informal short thick curly hair

a tangled mass of soft fine hairs that occurs in certain plants

dyed in the wool confirmed in one's beliefs or opinions

pull the wool over someone's eyes to deceive or delude someone

Derived forms of wool

wool-like, adjective

Word Origin for wool

Old English wull; related to Old Frisian, Middle Dutch wulle, Old High German wolla (German Wolle), Old Norse ull, Latin lāna and vellus fleece

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with wool

wool

see all wool and a yard wide; pull the wool over someone's eyes.

wool

Idioms about wool

Origin of wool

OTHER WORDS FROM wool

Words nearby wool

Words related to wool

How to use wool in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wool

Derived forms of wool

Word Origin for wool

Other Idioms and Phrases with wool