wood1

[woo d] /wʊd/
noun
1.
the hard, fibrous substance composing most of the stem and branches of a tree or shrub, and lying beneath the bark; the xylem.
2.
the trunks or main stems of trees as suitable for architectural and other purposes; timber or lumber.
3.
firewood.
4.
the cask, barrel, or keg, as distinguished from the bottle:
aged in the wood.
5.
woodblock (def 1).
6.
Music.
  1. a woodwind instrument.
  2. the section of a band or orchestra composed of woodwinds.
7.
Often, woods. (used with a singular or plural verb) a large and thick collection of growing trees; a grove or forest:
They picnicked in the woods.
8.
Golf. a club with a wooden head, as a driver, brassie, spoon, or baffy for hitting long shots.
Compare iron (def 5).
adjective
9.
made of wood; wooden.
10.
used to store, work, or carry wood:
a wood chisel.
11.
dwelling or growing in woods:
wood bird.
verb (used with object)
12.
to cover or plant with trees.
13.
to supply with wood; get supplies of wood for.
verb (used without object)
14.
to take in or get supplies of wood (often followed by up):
to wood up before the approach of winter.
Idioms
15.
have the wood on, Australian Slang. to have an advantage over or have information that can be used against.
16.
knock on wood, (used when knocking on something wooden to assure continued good luck):
The car's still in good shape, knock on wood.
Also, especially British, touch wood.
17.
out of the woods,
  1. out of a dangerous, perplexing, or difficult situation; secure; safe.
  2. no longer in precarious health or critical condition; out of danger and recovering.
Origin
before 900; Middle English; Old English wudu, earlier widu; cognate with Old Norse vithr, Old High German witu, Old Irish fid
Related forms
woodless, adjective
Synonyms
7. See forest.
British Dictionary definitions for knock on wood

wood1

/wʊd/
noun
1.
the hard fibrous substance consisting of xylem tissue that occurs beneath the bark in trees, shrubs, and similar plants related adjectives ligneous xyloid
2.
the trunks of trees that have been cut and prepared for use as a building material
3.
a collection of trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, etc, usually dominated by one or a few species of tree: usually smaller than a forest: an oak wood, related adjective sylvan
4.
fuel; firewood
5.
(golf)
  1. a long-shafted club with a broad wooden or metal head, used for driving: numbered from 1 to 7 according to size, angle of face, etc
  2. (as modifier): a wood shot
6.
(tennis, squash, badminton) the frame of a racket: he hit a winning shot off the wood
7.
one of the biased wooden bowls used in the game of bowls
8.
(music) short for woodwind See also woods (sense 3)
9.
  1. casks, barrels, etc, made of wood
  2. from the wood, (of a beverage) from a wooden container rather than a metal or glass one
10.
(Austral & NZ, informal) have the wood on, have got the wood on, to have an advantage over
11.
out of the wood, out of the woods, clear of or safe from dangers or doubts: we're not out of the wood yet
12.
(used with a negative) see the wood for the trees, to obtain a general view of a situation, problem, etc, without allowing details to cloud one's analysis: he can't see the wood for the trees
13.
(modifier) made of, used for, employing, or handling wood: a wood fire
14.
(modifier) dwelling in, concerning, or situated in a wood: a wood nymph
verb
15.
(transitive) to plant a wood upon
16.
to supply or be supplied with fuel or firewood
See also woods
Derived Forms
woodless, adjective
Word Origin
Old English widu, wudu; related to Old High German witu, Old Norse vithr

wood2

/wʊd/
adjective
1.
(obsolete) raging or raving like a maniac
Word Origin
Old English wōd; related to Old High German wuot (German Wut), Old Norse ōthr, Gothic wōths, Latin vātēs seer

Wood

/wʊd/
noun
1.
Mrs Henry, married name of Ellen Price. 1814–87, British novelist, noted esp for the melodramatic novel East Lynne (1861)
2.
Sir Henry (Joseph). 1869–1944, English conductor, who founded the Promenade Concerts in London
3.
John, known as the Elder. 1707–54, British architect and town planner, working mainly in Bath, where he designed the North and South Parades (1728) and the Circus (1754)
4.
his son, John, known as the Younger. 1727–82, British architect: designed the Royal Crescent (1767–71) and the Assembly Rooms (1769–71), Bath
5.
Ralph. 1715–72, British potter, working in Staffordshire, who made the first toby jug (1762)
Contemporary definitions for knock on wood
phrase

a saying to ward off bad luck or invite good luck; also called touch wood

Word Origin

old Irish belief that knocking on wood lets spirits know you thank them

Word Origin and History for knock on wood

wood

n.

Old English wudu, earlier widu "tree, trees collectively, the substance of which trees are made," from Proto-Germanic *widuz (cf. Old Norse viðr, Danish and Swedish ved "tree, wood," Old High German witu "wood"), perhaps from PIE *widhu- "tree, wood" (cf. Welsh gwydd "trees," Gaelic fiodh- "wood, timber," Old Irish fid "tree, wood"). Woodsy is from 1860. Out of the woods "safe" is from 1792.

adj.

"violently insane" (now obsolete), from Old English wod "mad, frenzied," from Proto-Germanic *woth- (cf. Gothic woþs "possessed, mad," Old High German wuot "mad, madness," German wut "rage, fury"), from PIE *wet- "to blow, inspire, spiritually arouse;" source of Latin vates "seer, poet," Old Irish faith "poet;" "with a common element of mental excitement" [Buck]. Cf. Old English woþ "sound, melody, song," and Old Norse oðr "poetry," and the god-name Odin.

knock on wood in Science
wood
  (wd)   
The thick xylem of trees and shrubs, resulting from secondary growth by the vascular cambium, which produces new layers of living xylem. The accumulated living xylem is the sapwood. The older, dead xylem in the interior of the tree forms the heartwood. Often each cycle of growth of new wood is evident as a growth ring. The main components of wood are cellulose and lignin.

woody adjective
knock on wood in Culture

knock on wood definition


Some people say, “Knock on wood,” and then knock on something made of wood for good luck, when they have made a remark that has been true up to that point and they want it to continue to be true: “I've never had an accident yet, knock on wood.”

Note: The expression alludes to an ancient superstition that touching wood would ward off evil spirits.
Slang definitions & phrases for knock on wood

won't eat you, someone

sentence

Don't worry, that person will not harm you: Answer the question; we won't eat you (1738+)


woo

Related Terms

pitch woo


knock on wood in the Bible

See FOREST.

Idioms and Phrases with knock on wood

knock on wood

Also, touch wood. Express a wish that something will or will not occur, as in This last round of treatment should have cured her, knock on wood. This expression alludes to an ancient superstition that literally knocking on or touching wood will ward off evil spirits. [ c. 1900 ]