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.

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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

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wool More Idioms  

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

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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

Example Sentences

The brand’s pricey wool shoes were initially embraced by celebrities like Leonardio DiCaprio, who invested in the company in 2018.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Its Wool Runner shoe, made from merino wool, helped draw attention on social media.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Common insulation materials include fibreglass, non-combustible mineral wool, foam boards and natural fibre such as wood or cork.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

They glittered in gold platform heels, black and tan powersuits, and fur-lined wool dresses for the winter chill lingering in Washington.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

I fed some wool into the wheel, but my fingers got caught and it came to a harsh halt, pinching my hand in the spokes.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

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