wool

American  

[wool] / wʊl /

noun

1. 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.

2. fabrics and garments of such wool.

3. yarn made of such wool.

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

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

6. any finely fibrous or filamentous matter suggestive of the wool of sheep.

   glass wool; steel wool.

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

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

---

idioms

1. dyed in the wool, inveterate; confirmed.

   a dyed in the wool sinner.

2. 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.

3. all wool and a yard wide, genuine; excellent; sincere.

   He was a real friend, all wool and a yard wide.

wool British  

/ wʊl /

noun

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

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

3. 1. cloth or a garment made from this yarn

   2. ( as modifier )

      a wool dress

4. any of certain fibrous materials

   glass wool

   steel wool

5. informal short thick curly hair

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

7. confirmed in one's beliefs or opinions

8. to deceive or delude someone

---

wool More Idioms  

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

---

Other Word Forms

• nonwool
  adjective
• wool-like
  adjective
• woollike
  adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

Wool is a fiber that comes from a sheep's or goat's hair and is used for knitting sweaters and weaving blankets. Better put on your wool hat and scarf — it's freezing out there! Most wool comes from the fleece of sheep, although extra soft specialty wool (like cashmere and angora) comes from goats. In order to process wool so that it can be used to make clothing, rugs, and blankets, sheep must first be shorn. Once their fleece is cut off, it's washed and spun into yarn. If someone "pulls the wool over your eyes," they successfully fool or trick you.

Example Sentences

Everything from wine to sesame seeds and wool has been entering China tariff-free from everywhere except tiny Eswatini, which maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

It would be fair to assume that, in his role as a detective, Matt Gibson comes across a number of criminals trying to pull the wool over his eyes.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

A unique pilot project in the Antrim hills could give sheep farmers a new market for their wool and help transform peatland conservation.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

If you haven’t heard of Allbirds, picture the first time you learned that merino wool is surprisingly soft and breathable for socks.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

“You! You bought the wool in Turfan. You’re the one to say!”

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• cashmere
• fleece
• fur
• hair
• mohair
• tweed
• yarn