woody

¹

[ wood-ee ]

adjective

, wood·i·er, wood·i·est.

1. abounding with woods; wooded.
2. belonging or pertaining to the woods; sylvan.
3. consisting of or containing wood; ligneous.
4. resembling wood, as in appearance, texture, or toughness:

   a woody vegetable.

woody

²

or wood·ie

[ wood-ee ]

noun

, plural wood·ies.

1. Slang. a station wagon having wood or simulated-wood panels on the outside of the body.
2. Slang: Vulgar. an erection of the penis.

woody

³

[ wuhd-ee, woo-dee ]

noun

plural: woodieswoodier woodiest

1. widdy ¹.

Woody

⁴

[ wood-ee ]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Woodrow.

woody

/ ˈwʊdɪ /

adjective

1. abounding in or covered with forest or woods
2. connected with, belonging to, or situated in a wood
3. consisting of or containing wood or lignin

   woody stems

   woody tissue

4. resembling wood in hardness or texture

Derived Forms

• ˈwoodiness, noun

Other Words From

• woodi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of woody¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; wood ¹, -y ¹

Origin of woody²

First recorded in 1940–45 woody ²fordef 2; in 1960–65 woody ²fordef 1; wood ¹ + -y ²

Example Sentences

As glaciers recede, woody vegetation will move up in elevation, potentially coaxing bears into those higher-elevation habitats in search of food and expanding access to high-quality habitat.

From Seattle Times

California, for example, doesn’t account for greenhouse gases leaking out of unplugged oil wells or carbon emissions from biofuels, such as power plants that burn woody waste.

From Los Angeles Times

Next comes a series of shakers and screens that separate the seeds from all the woody material that surrounds them.

From New York Times

Increased pronghorn productivity is associated with higher shrub cover and herbaceous biomass -- that is to say biomass that isn't woody, like trees.

From Science Daily

Last spring, while researching plants to add to Floret’s already impressive collection of heirloom and modern roses, seasonal cut flowers, and woody plants, Benzakein learned of Olkhovska’s extensive clematis collection.

From Seattle Times