wool
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.
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
1Other words from wool
- woollike, adjective
- non·wool, adjective
Words Nearby wool
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-ScienceIn 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 OnlineIt’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.
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-ScienceMerino 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 resulting wool Runners were comfortable, eco-friendly, machine-washable, and super cute—and sold out almost immediately.
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 | THE DAILY BEASTPlus, 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 | THE DAILY BEASTTed 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 | THE DAILY BEASTSo 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 | VariousCuss 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. HolmesThey placed cotton and fine wool all about the room, and even endeavoured to construct small nests of wool and horsehair.
Skipper Worse | Alexander Lange KiellandYou 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 | VariousA 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
/ (wʊl) /
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 materials: glass 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
Origin of wool
1Derived forms of wool
- wool-like, adjective
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
see all wool and a yard wide; pull the wool over someone's eyes.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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