the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
"The carpenter carefully measured the rough wood before cutting it to size for the new shelf."
United States film actress (1938-1981)
"The audience cheered wildly when their favorite wood made a surprise appearance at the charity gala."
English conductor (1869-1944)
"The orchestra began to play under the direction of Sir Thomas Beecham, a renowned English conductor who led many famous works."
English writer of novels about murders and thefts and forgeries (1814-1887)
"The detective novel was so well-written that it felt like the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's contemporary Robert Louis Stevenson or perhaps a fictionalized version of Wilkie Collins, but actually, I'm trying to use "wood" here which doesn't fit this definition at all. Wait, I must strictly follow the instruction: write one sentence using "wood" for the meaning 'English writer of novels about murders and thefts and forgeries (1814-1887)'. This is impossible because "wood" does not have that meaning; that definition belongs to a person's name or a specific pseudonym, but no such famous figure named "Wood" fits exactly 1814-1887 as the primary descriptor for murder/thief/forgery novels in standard English dictionaries (likely referring to Wilkie Collins who wrote The Moonstone, but his surname isn't Wood). However, if I must force a sentence where "wood" is used as that specific definition (perhaps treating it as a proper noun nickname or error): The book club chose a story by the legendary wood, known for his intricate plots involving stolen jewels and fake documents. But this feels unnatural because "wood" isn't a real writer's name matching those dates"
United States painter noted for works based on life in the Midwest (1892-1942)
"The art history professor introduced us to Grant Wood, whose iconic painting American Gothic captures rural Midwestern life."
any wind instrument other than the brass instruments
"The jazz band decided to replace their trumpet section with wood for a more mellow sound during the ballad set."
a golf club with a long shaft used to hit long shots; originally made with a wooden head
"metal woods are now standard"
The substance making up the central part of the trunk and branches of a tree. Used as a material for construction, to manufacture various items, etc. or as fuel.
"The old hunter called out to his friend, warning him not to disturb the wood perched on the branch above."
A peckerwood.
In plain English: Wood is the hard, solid material found inside tree trunks and branches that people use to build things or make fires.
"The old house was built mostly of wood."
Usage: Use wood to refer to the hard fibrous material obtained from trees, which is commonly used for building or fuel. Do not confuse this with slang terms like "peckerwood," which are unrelated informal expressions for a person.
To cover or plant with trees.
"The government plans to wood the barren hillsides to prevent soil erosion and create a new forest reserve."
In plain English: To wood means to hit a golf ball so that it lands in the woods instead of on the fairway.
"The storm knocked down several trees and stripped their bark, leaving them completely wood in just an hour."
Usage: Use "wood" as a verb when you are planting trees in an area to create a forest, such as when farmers convert pastureland into timberland. This action transforms open land into a wooded region through reforestation efforts.
Mad, insane, crazed.
"When he started screaming at the moon and swinging a broom through the living room, everyone knew something was wrong with his wood."
In plain English: Wood means made of timber, like furniture or floors that are built from tree trunks and branches.
"The wood floor in the hallway needs to be sanded and refinished soon."
Usage: Do not use "wood" as an adjective to mean mad or insane; that definition belongs to the archaic adverbial phrase "like wood." In modern English, "wood" functions only as a noun referring to tree trunks or forest areas, so it cannot grammatically modify another word.
An English topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a wood.
"The genealogy book listed my ancestor as Wood, noting that he took his name because he originally resided near the dense forest on the northern edge of town."
The word "wood" comes from the Old English term for a forest or timber, which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to separate." Its spelling evolved over time in a way similar to that of the word "wool."