wool

wool — noun

1. the thick, soft coat of hair that naturally covers sheep and certain other creat

1.nounA1
Definition

the thick, soft coat of hair that naturally covers sheep and certain other creatures (including goats and llamas); it is shorn off and then processed into yarn or fabric.

Example

Every spring the farmer shears the sheep and collects their wool.

collocation: shear + wool

Wool keeps you warm because the tiny fibres trap pockets of air.

explains why wool is warm

Common collocations
  • shear wool
  • raw wool
  • wool fibres
  • sheep's wool
Synonyms
  • fleece

    refers specifically to the wool coat of a single sheep after shearing, often in one piece

  • fur

    general term for animal hair; wool is a specific type of fur from sheep and similar animals

Usage Note

Wool in this sense is an uncountable noun. It refers to the raw fibre still on the animal or freshly shorn, before it is cleaned or spun into thread.

Common Mistakes

I bought a wool for my knitting project.
I bought some wool for my knitting project.
wool is uncountable; use 'some wool' or 'a ball of wool'.

2. thread or fabric produced from the shorn hair of sheep and similar animals; peop

2.nounA2
Definition

thread or fabric produced from the shorn hair of sheep and similar animals; people use it to knit garments or to make warm items such as sweaters, coats, and blankets.

Example

Tomás bought three balls of blue wool and knitted a warm scarf for his sister.

collocation: ball of wool for knitting

This suit is made of pure wool, so it is warm but also breathes well.

pure wool for clothing

Common collocations
  • ball of wool
  • pure wool
  • wool blanket
  • wool coat
  • knitting wool
Synonyms
  • yarn

    general term for any twisted thread for knitting or weaving; wool is a specific type of yarn made from animal hair

  • fleece

    also a soft warm fabric but usually synthetic; differs from wool which is natural

Usage Note

In this sense, wool can refer either to the knitting yarn (balls of wool) or to the finished fabric (a wool coat). Context makes the meaning clear: 'knitting wool' for the thread, 'wool fabric' or 'woollen cloth' for the material.

Common Mistakes

I bought a new wool for the winter.
I bought a new woollen coat for the winter.
wool is uncountable; use 'woollen' as an adjective to describe the item made of wool.
Idioms

pull the wool over somebody's eyes

idiom

to hide your true actions or intentions from someone by making them believe something false.

The salesman tried to pull the wool over Emre's eyes by hiding the extra fees in the contract.

pull the wool over somebody’s eyes

idiom

To trick someone by making them believe something false.

The salesman tried to pull the wool over my eyes.

Did you think you could pull the wool over your teacher's eyes?

Word family

  • woollen
    adjectiveB1
  • woolly
    adjectiveB1
  • woollens
    nounB2
  • wool-gathering
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Wool, fleece, fur, and hair all refer to coverings on animal bodies, but they differ in scope and use. Wool specifically describes the soft, thick undercoat of sheep and similar animals (goats, llamas) that people shear and use for textiles. Fleece refers to the wool coat of a single sheep after shearing — it is wool, but the term emphasises the whole collected mass in one piece. Fur is a broader term covering the dense hair of many mammals (cats, bears, rabbits) and is usually used for clothing or decoration rather than spinning into thread. Hair is the most general term and includes the fine strands found on humans and animals. In everyday British English, people say "a wool jumper" but not "a fleece jumper" (fleece now more often means a synthetic jacket), while in American English "wool sweater" is standard.

wool ↗fleece ↗fur ↗hair ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • wool production
  • wool industry
  • wool trade

Phrases

  • ball of wool
  • skein of wool
  • pure wool
  • wool fibre

Prepositions

  • made of wool
  • made from wool

Etymology

Indo-EuropeanGermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word wool comes from Old English wull, which goes back to a shared Germanic root wullō. This root can be traced further to the ancient Indo-European word wel-, meaning 'to pull or tear', referring to the act of plucking hair from animals. The word has been used for the fleece of sheep since before the 12th century, and its meaning later expanded to include the thread and cloth made from this material.