Definition

1. Noun:
   • The soft, thick hair that grows on the bodies of sheep and some other animals: This is the natural fiber, often crimped and elastic, that is sheared for use.
   • A material or yarn spun from this hair: Refers to the processed fiber used for knitting, weaving, or felting.
   • A fabric or garment made from this yarn: Denotes the finished textile product.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The sheep's wool was thick and warm. (The natural fiber from the sheep was dense and insulating.)
  • She bought a skein of blue wool for her knitting project. (She purchased a length of spun yarn.)
  • This sweater is made of 100% wool. (This garment is constructed from wool fabric.)

Advanced Usage

• To be (all) wool and a yard wide: To be genuine, substantial, or of excellent quality.
  • His promises sound good, but we need to see if he's all wool and a yard wide. (We need to see if his promises are genuine and substantial.)
• Dyed in the wool: Thoroughly imbued with a characteristic, belief, or habit; unchanging.
  • He is a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist who resists all modern methods. (He is a thorough and unchanging traditionalist.)

Variants and Related Words

• Woolen/Woollen (adj): Made of or relating to wool.
  • She prefers woolen blankets in the winter.
• Woolly (adj): Resembling wool; covered with or made of wool; also, vague or confused.
  • The lamb has a woolly coat. / His argument was rather woolly.
• Woolgathering (n): Indulgence in idle daydreaming.
  • Stop your woolgathering and focus on the task.

Synonyms

• Fleece: The wool coat of a sheep, especially when shorn.
• Yarn: Thread spun from wool or other fibers.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• To pull the wool over someone's eyes: To deceive someone; to trick someone.
  • He tried to pull the wool over the inspector's eyes with a fake document. (He tried to deceive the inspector.)

Related Idioms

• Much cry and little wool: A lot of fuss or talk with little result; much ado about nothing.
  • Their protest was much cry and little wool; nothing actually changed.
• To lose one's wool: (Informal) To lose one's temper.
  • He really lost his wool when he saw the broken window.

Noun

1. outer coat of especially sheep and yaks
2. fiber sheared from animals (such as sheep) and twisted into yarn for weaving
3. a fabric made from the hair of sheep