the wood of broad-leaved dicotyledonous trees (as distinguished from the wood of conifers)
"The furniture maker selected a piece of hardwood to ensure the table had the durability and grain pattern typical of broad-leaved trees rather than soft pine."
The wood from any dicotyledonous tree, without regard to its hardness.
"The antique floor was refinished using hardwood harvested from a young oak tree, proving that the term refers to dicotylodinous trees regardless of their actual density."
In plain English: Hardwood is wood that comes from trees with leaves, not needles.
"We chose hardwood for our new floor because it feels warm underfoot and looks elegant in the living room."
Usage: Hardwood refers specifically to the timber derived from broad-leafed trees rather than conifers like pine or fir. When describing flooring, it denotes surfaces constructed from these durable wooden planks.
Of a floor: made of interlocking hardwood boards.
"The room featured a gleaming hardwood floor made of interlocking oak boards."
In plain English: Hardwood describes wood that comes from trees with leaves, not needles.
"The hardwood floor in my living room needs to be refinished soon."
The word hardwood is a straightforward compound formed by combining the words hard and wood. It was first used to describe trees that produce dense timber, distinguishing them from softer varieties like pine or spruce.