wool

[ wool ]

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.

wool

/ 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

   steel wool

   glass wool

5. informal.
   short thick curly hair
6. a tangled mass of soft fine hairs that occurs in certain plants
7. dyed in the wool
   dyed in the wool confirmed in one's beliefs or opinions
8. pull the wool over someone's eyes
   pull the wool over someone's eyes to deceive or delude someone

Derived Forms

• ˈwool-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• woollike adjective
• non·wool adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wool¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wool¹

Old English wull; related to Old Frisian, Middle Dutch wulle, Old High German wolla (German Wolle ), Old Norse ull, Latin lāna and vellus fleece

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

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

2. dyed in the wool, inveterate; confirmed:

   a dyed in the wool sinner.

3. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing wool

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

Example Sentences

Flannel, made from a mixture of cotton and wool, is also soft, low-maintenance, and will keep you warm.

From Popular-Science

In warm weather, wool draws moisture away from your body and facilitates evaporation by spreading that moisture out across a larger surface area.

From Outside Online

It’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.

From Outside Online

If you live in a relatively dry cold place, look for a wool exterior, this will keep any heat from escaping.

From Popular-Science

Merino wool has become a very popular base-layer material, and it’s much better than cotton.

From Popular-Science

Turns out that wool regulates temperature, repels water, wicks away moisture, and resists stains and dirt.

From The Daily Beast

The resulting Wool Runners were comfortable, eco-friendly, machine-washable, and super cute—and sold out almost immediately.

From The Daily Beast

The wool design by Maddalena Forcella brings to mind the gang warfare and violence that has plagued Mexico.

From The Daily Beast

Plus, as Middleton says, “Many great vintage and the Burberry come with wool linings.”

From The Daily Beast

Ted tugged at the brass buttons of her red, wool-crepe dress.

From The Daily Beast

So 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.

From Project Gutenberg

Cuss him to-night, ef he's alive; an' ef his bed is soff' as wool, doan let him sleep for thinkin' of Miss Dory.

From Project Gutenberg

They placed cotton and fine wool all about the room, and even endeavoured to construct small nests of wool and horsehair.

From Project Gutenberg

You ate the milk, and you clothed yourselves with the wool, and you killed that which was fat: but my flock you did not feed.

From Project Gutenberg

A highly curious report on the importation of silks and the exportation of wool was soon presented to the House.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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