from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Wood \Wood\, n. [OE. wode, wude, AS. wudu, wiodu; akin to OHG.
witu, Icel. vi?r, Dan. & Sw. ved wood, and probably to Ir. &
Gael. fiodh, W. gwydd trees, shrubs.]
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1. A large and thick collection of trees; a forest or grove;
-- frequently used in the plural.
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Light thickens, and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood. --Shak.
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2. The substance of trees and the like; the hard fibrous
substance which composes the body of a tree and its
branches, and which is covered by the bark; timber. "To
worship their own work in wood and stone for gods."
--Milton.
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3. (Bot.) The fibrous material which makes up the greater
part of the stems and branches of trees and shrubby
plants, and is found to a less extent in herbaceous stems.
It consists of elongated tubular or needle-shaped cells of
various kinds, usually interwoven with the shinning bands
called silver grain.
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Note: Wood consists chiefly of the carbohydrates cellulose
and lignin, which are isomeric with starch.
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4. Trees cut or sawed for the fire or other uses.
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{Wood acid}, {Wood vinegar} (Chem.), a complex acid liquid
obtained in the dry distillation of wood, and containing
large quantities of acetic acid; hence, specifically,
acetic acid. Formerly called {pyroligneous acid}.
{Wood anemone} (Bot.), a delicate flower ({Anemone nemorosa})
of early spring; -- also called {windflower}. See Illust.
of {Anemone}.
{Wood ant} (Zool.), a large ant ({Formica rufa}) which lives
in woods and forests, and constructs large nests.
{Wood apple} (Bot.). See {Elephant apple}, under {Elephant}.
{Wood baboon} (Zool.), the drill.
{Wood betony}. (Bot.)
(a) Same as {Betony}.
(b) The common American lousewort ({Pedicularis
Canadensis}), a low perennial herb with yellowish or
purplish flowers.
{Wood borer}. (Zool.)
(a) The larva of any one of numerous species of boring
beetles, esp. elaters, longicorn beetles,
buprestidans, and certain weevils. See {Apple borer},
under {Apple}, and {Pine weevil}, under {Pine}.
(b) The larva of any one of various species of
lepidopterous insects, especially of the clearwing
moths, as the peach-tree borer (see under {Peach}),
and of the goat moths.
(c) The larva of various species of hymenopterous of the
tribe Urocerata. See {Tremex}.
(d) Any one of several bivalve shells which bore in wood,
as the teredos, and species of Xylophaga.
(e) Any one of several species of small Crustacea, as the
{Limnoria}, and the boring amphipod ({Chelura
terebrans}).
{Wood carpet}, a kind of floor covering made of thin pieces
of wood secured to a flexible backing, as of cloth.
--Knight.
{Wood cell} (Bot.), a slender cylindrical or prismatic cell
usually tapering to a point at both ends. It is the
principal constituent of woody fiber.
{Wood choir}, the choir, or chorus, of birds in the woods.
[Poetic] --Coleridge.
{Wood coal}, charcoal; also, lignite, or brown coal.
{Wood cricket} (Zool.), a small European cricket ({Nemobius
sylvestris}).
{Wood culver} (Zool.), the wood pigeon.
{Wood cut}, an engraving on wood; also, a print from such an
engraving.
{Wood dove} (Zool.), the stockdove.
{Wood drink}, a decoction or infusion of medicinal woods.
{Wood duck} (Zool.)
(a) A very beautiful American duck ({Aix sponsa}). The
male has a large crest, and its plumage is varied with
green, purple, black, white, and red. It builds its
nest in trees, whence the name. Called also {bridal
duck}, {summer duck}, and {wood widgeon}.
(b) The hooded merganser.
(c) The Australian maned goose ({Chlamydochen jubata}).
{Wood echo}, an echo from the wood.
{Wood engraver}.
(a) An engraver on wood.
(b) (Zool.) Any of several species of small beetles whose
larvae bore beneath the bark of trees, and excavate
furrows in the wood often more or less resembling
coarse engravings; especially, {Xyleborus
xylographus}.
{Wood engraving}.
(a) The act or art engraving on wood; xylography.
(b) An engraving on wood; a wood cut; also, a print from
such an engraving.
{Wood fern}. (Bot.) See {Shield fern}, under {Shield}.
{Wood fiber}.
(a) (Bot.) Fibrovascular tissue.
(b) Wood comminuted, and reduced to a powdery or dusty
mass.
{Wood fretter} (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
beetles whose larvae bore in the wood, or beneath the
bark, of trees.
{Wood frog} (Zool.), a common North American frog ({Rana
sylvatica}) which lives chiefly in the woods, except
during the breeding season. It is drab or yellowish brown,
with a black stripe on each side of the head.
{Wood germander}. (Bot.) See under {Germander}.
{Wood god}, a fabled sylvan deity.
{Wood grass}. (Bot.) See under {Grass}.
{Wood grouse}. (Zool.)
(a) The capercailzie.
(b) The spruce partridge. See under {Spruce}.
{Wood guest} (Zool.), the ringdove. [Prov. Eng.]
{Wood hen}. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of several species of Old World short-winged
rails of the genus {Ocydromus}, including the weka and
allied species.
(b) The American woodcock.
{Wood hoopoe} (Zool.), any one of several species of Old
World arboreal birds belonging to {Irrisor} and allied
genera. They are closely allied to the common hoopoe, but
have a curved beak, and a longer tail.
{Wood ibis} (Zool.), any one of several species of large,
long-legged, wading birds belonging to the genus
{Tantalus}. The head and neck are naked or scantily
covered with feathers. The American wood ibis ({Tantalus
loculator}) is common in Florida.
{Wood lark} (Zool.), a small European lark ({Alauda
arborea}), which, like, the skylark, utters its notes
while on the wing. So called from its habit of perching on
trees.
{Wood laurel} (Bot.), a European evergreen shrub ({Daphne
Laureola}).
{Wood leopard} (Zool.), a European spotted moth ({Zeuzera
aesculi}) allied to the goat moth. Its large fleshy larva
bores in the wood of the apple, pear, and other fruit
trees.
{Wood lily} (Bot.), the lily of the valley.
{Wood lock} (Naut.), a piece of wood close fitted and
sheathed with copper, in the throating or score of the
pintle, to keep the rudder from rising.
{Wood louse} (Zool.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial isopod
Crustacea belonging to {Oniscus}, {Armadillo}, and
related genera. See {Sow bug}, under Sow, and {Pill
bug}, under {Pill}.
(b) Any one of several species of small, wingless,
pseudoneuropterous insects of the family {Psocidae},
which live in the crevices of walls and among old
books and papers. Some of the species are called also
{book lice}, and {deathticks}, or {deathwatches}.
{Wood mite} (Zool.), any one of numerous small mites of the
family {Oribatidae}. They are found chiefly in woods, on
tree trunks and stones.
{Wood mote}. (Eng. Law)
(a) Formerly, the forest court.
(b) The court of attachment.
{Wood nettle}. (Bot.) See under {Nettle}.
{Wood nightshade} (Bot.), woody nightshade.
{Wood nut} (Bot.), the filbert.
{Wood nymph}. (a) A nymph inhabiting the woods; a fabled
goddess of the woods; a dryad. "The wood nymphs, decked
with daisies trim." --Milton.
(b) (Zool.) Any one of several species of handsomely
colored moths belonging to the genus {Eudryas}. The
larvae are bright-colored, and some of the species, as
{Eudryas grata}, and {Eudryas unio}, feed on the
leaves of the grapevine.
(c) (Zool.) Any one of several species of handsomely
colored South American humming birds belonging to the
genus {Thalurania}. The males are bright blue, or
green and blue.
{Wood offering}, wood burnt on the altar.
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We cast the lots . . . for the wood offering. --Neh.
x. 34.
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{Wood oil} (Bot.), a resinous oil obtained from several East
Indian trees of the genus {Dipterocarpus}, having
properties similar to those of copaiba, and sometimes
substituted for it. It is also used for mixing paint. See
{Gurjun}.
{Wood opal} (Min.), a striped variety of coarse opal, having
some resemblance to wood.
{Wood paper}, paper made of wood pulp. See {Wood pulp},
below.
{Wood pewee} (Zool.), a North American tyrant flycatcher
({Contopus virens}). It closely resembles the pewee, but
is smaller.
{Wood pie} (Zool.), any black and white woodpecker,
especially the European great spotted woodpecker.
{Wood pigeon}. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons
belonging to {Palumbus} and allied genera of the
family {Columbidae}.
(b) The ringdove.
{Wood puceron} (Zool.), a plant louse.
{Wood pulp} (Technol.), vegetable fiber obtained from the
poplar and other white woods, and so softened by digestion
with a hot solution of alkali that it can be formed into
sheet paper, etc. It is now produced on an immense scale.
{Wood quail} (Zool.), any one of several species of East
Indian crested quails belonging to {Rollulus} and allied
genera, as the red-crested wood quail ({Rollulus
roulroul}), the male of which is bright green, with a long
crest of red hairlike feathers.
{Wood rabbit} (Zool.), the cottontail.
{Wood rat} (Zool.), any one of several species of American
wild rats of the genus {Neotoma} found in the Southern
United States; -- called also {bush rat}. The Florida wood
rat ({Neotoma Floridana}) is the best-known species.
{Wood reed grass} (Bot.), a tall grass ({Cinna arundinacea})
growing in moist woods.
{Wood reeve}, the steward or overseer of a wood. [Eng.]
{Wood rush} (Bot.), any plant of the genus {Luzula},
differing from the true rushes of the genus {Juncus}
chiefly in having very few seeds in each capsule.
{Wood sage} (Bot.), a name given to several labiate plants of
the genus {Teucrium}. See {Germander}.
{Wood screw}, a metal screw formed with a sharp thread, and
usually with a slotted head, for insertion in wood.
{Wood sheldrake} (Zool.), the hooded merganser.
{Wood shock} (Zool.), the fisher. See {Fisher}, 2.
{Wood shrike} (Zool.), any one of numerous species of Old
World singing birds belonging to {Grallina},
{Collyricincla}, {Prionops}, and allied genera, common in
India and Australia. They are allied to the true shrikes,
but feed upon both insects and berries.
{Wood snipe}. (Zool.)
(a) The American woodcock.
(b) An Asiatic snipe ({Gallinago nemoricola}).
{Wood soot}, soot from burnt wood.
{Wood sore}. (Zool.) See {Cuckoo spit}, under {Cuckoo}.
{Wood sorrel} (Bot.), a plant of the genus Oxalis ({Oxalis
Acetosella}), having an acid taste. See Illust. (a) of
{Shamrock}.
{Wood spirit}. (Chem.) See {Methyl alcohol}, under {Methyl}.
{Wood stamp}, a carved or engraved block or stamp of wood,
for impressing figures or colors on fabrics.
{Wood star} (Zool.), any one of several species of small
South American humming birds belonging to the genus
{Calothorax}. The male has a brilliant gorget of blue,
purple, and other colors.
{Wood sucker} (Zool.), the yaffle.
{Wood swallow} (Zool.), any one of numerous species of Old
World passerine birds belonging to the genus {Artamus} and
allied genera of the family {Artamidae}. They are common
in the East Indies, Asia, and Australia. In form and
habits they resemble swallows, but in structure they
resemble shrikes. They are usually black above and white
beneath.
{Wood tapper} (Zool.), any woodpecker.
{Wood tar}. See under {Tar}.
{Wood thrush}, (Zool.)
(a) An American thrush ({Turdus mustelinus}) noted for the
sweetness of its song. See under {Thrush}.
(b) The missel thrush.
{Wood tick}. See in Vocabulary.
{Wood tin}. (Min.). See {Cassiterite}.
{Wood titmouse} (Zool.), the goldcgest.
{Wood tortoise} (Zool.), the sculptured tortoise. See under
{Sculptured}.
{Wood vine} (Bot.), the white bryony.
{Wood vinegar}. See {Wood acid}, above.
{Wood warbler}. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of numerous species of American warblers of
the genus {Dendroica}. See {Warbler}.
(b) A European warbler ({Phylloscopus sibilatrix}); --
called also {green wren}, {wood wren}, and {yellow
wren}.
{Wood worm} (Zool.), a larva that bores in wood; a wood
borer.
{Wood wren}. (Zool.)
(a) The wood warbler.
(b) The willow warbler.
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