different between wooden vs woolly

English

Alternative forms

• wodden (obsolete)

Etymology

From wood +? -en. Dates from 1530s, gradually replaced treen (“made from a tree”), from Middle English treen, from Old English triewen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?d?n/
• Rhymes: -?d?n

Adjective

wooden (comparative more wooden, superlative most wooden)

1. Made of wood.
2. (figuratively) As if made of wood; moving awkwardly, or speaking with dull lack of emotion.

Derived terms

• woodenness

Translations

Anagrams

• Ewondo

English

Alternative forms

• wooly (chiefly used in the US, but less common than woolly even there)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?w?li/
• Rhymes: -?li

Etymology 1

From Middle English wolly, equivalent to wool +? -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wullich (“woolly”), Dutch wollig (“woolly”), German wollig (“woolly”), Swedish ullig (“woolly”).

Adjective

woolly (comparative woollier, superlative woolliest)

1. Made of wool.

2. Having a thick, soft texture, as if made of wool.
3. (figuratively, of thinking, principles, etc.) Based on emotions rather than logic.

4. (figuratively) Unclear, fuzzy, hazy, cloudy.
5. (obsolete) Clothed in wool.

Derived terms

• woolly hat
• woolly-headed, wooly-headed
• woolly-minded (British) and (US), wooly-minded (US)

Translations

Noun

woolly (plural woollies)

1. (informal) A sweater or similar garment made of wool.
2. (US, slang) A sheep not yet shorn.
3. A piece of woolwork.

Etymology 2

From woolyback.

Noun

woolly (plural woollies)

1. (Liverpudlian slang, derogatory) A woolly back; someone from the area around Liverpool, not from Liverpool itself.