Adjacent Words

Wool definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WOOL, n. [G., Gr., soft; down; L., to pull off.]
1. That species of hair which grows on sheep and some other animals, which in fineness sometimes approaches to fur. The word generally signifies the fleecy coat of the sheep, which constitutes a most essential material of clothing in all cold and temperate climates.
2. Short thick hair.
3. In botany, a sort of pubescence, or a clothing o dense curling hairs on the surface of certain plants.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a fabric made from the hair of sheep [syn: wool, woolen, woollen]
2: fiber sheared from animals (such as sheep) and twisted into yarn for weaving
3: outer coat of especially sheep and yaks [syn: wool, fleece]

Merriam Webster's

noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English wolle, from Old English wull; akin to Old High German wolla wool, Latin vellus fleece, lana wool Date: before 12th century 1. the soft wavy or curly usually thick undercoat of various hairy mammals and especially the sheep made up of a matrix of keratin fibers and covered with minute scales 2. a product of wool; especially a woven fabric or garment of such fabric 3. a. a dense felted pubescence especially on a plant ; tomentum b. a filamentous mass — usually used in combination; compare mineral wool, steel wool

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 fine soft wavy hair from the fleece of sheep, goats, etc. 2 a yarn produced from this hair. b cloth or clothing made from it. 3 any of various wool-like substances (steel wool). 4 soft short under-fur or down. 5 colloq. a person's hair, esp. when short and curly. Phrases and idioms: pull the wool over a person's eyes deceive a person. wool-fat lanolin. wool-fell Brit. the skin of a sheep etc. with the fleece still on. wool-gathering absent-mindedness; dreamy inattention. wool-grower a breeder of sheep for wool. wool-oil suint. wool-pack 1 a fleecy cumulus cloud. 2 hist. a bale of wool. wool-skin = wool-fell. wool-sorters' disease anthrax. wool-stapler a person who grades wool. Derivatives: wool-like adj. Etymology: OE wull f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wool Wool (w[oo^]l), n. [OE. wolle, wulle, AS. wull; akin to D. wol, OHG. wolla, G. wolle, Icel. & Sw. ull, Dan. uld, Goth, wulla, Lith. vilna, Russ. volna, L. vellus, Skr. [=u]r[.n][=a] wool, v[.r] to cover. [root]146, 287. Cf. Flannel, Velvet.] 1. The soft and curled, or crisped, species of hair which grows on sheep and some other animals, and which in fineness sometimes approaches to fur; -- chiefly applied to the fleecy coat of the sheep, which constitutes a most essential material of clothing in all cold and temperate climates. Note: Wool consists essentially of keratin. 2. Short, thick hair, especially when crisped or curled. Wool of bat and tongue of dog. --Shak. 3. (Bot.) A sort of pubescence, or a clothing of dense, curling hairs on the surface of certain plants. Dead pulled wool, wool pulled from a carcass. Mineral wool. See under Mineral. Philosopher's wool. (Chem.) See Zinc oxide, under Zinc. Pulled wool, wool pulled from a pelt, or undressed hide. Slag wool. Same as Mineral wool, under Mineral. Wool ball, a ball or mass of wool. Wool burler, one who removes little burs, knots, or extraneous matter, from wool, or the surface of woolen cloth. Wool comber. (a) One whose occupation is to comb wool. (b) A machine for combing wool. Wool grass (Bot.), a kind of bulrush (Scirpus Eriophorum) with numerous clustered woolly spikes. Wool scribbler. See Woolen scribbler, under Woolen, a. Wool sorter's disease (Med.), a disease, resembling malignant pustule, occurring among those who handle the wool of goats and sheep. Wool staple, a city or town where wool used to be brought to the king's staple for sale. [Eng.] Wool stapler. (a) One who deals in wool. (b) One who sorts wool according to its staple, or its adaptation to different manufacturing purposes. Wool winder, a person employed to wind, or make up, wool into bundles to be packed for sale.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(wools) 1. Wool is the hair that grows on sheep and on some other animals. 2. Wool is a material made from animal's wool that is used to make things such as clothes, blankets, and carpets. ...a wool overcoat... The carpets are made in wool and nylon. N-MASS 3. see also cotton wool, steel wool, wire wool 4. If you say that someone is pulling the wool over your eyes, you mean that they are trying to deceive you, in order to have an advantage over you. Stop trying to pull the wool over my eyes! What were you two fighting about just now? PHRASE: V inflects

Easton's Bible Dictionary

one of the first material used for making woven cloth (Lev. 13:47, 48, 52, 59; 19:19). The first-fruit of wool was to be offered to the priests (Deut. 18:4). The law prohibiting the wearing of a garment "of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together" (Deut. 22:11) may, like some other laws of a similar character, have been intended to express symbolically the separateness and simplicity of God's covenant people. The wool of Damascus, famous for its whiteness, was of great repute in the Tyrian market (Ezek. 27:18).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wool (tsemer; erion): Wool and flax were the fibers most used by the ancient weavers. Wool was used principally for the outside garments (Le 13:48 ff; Pr 31:13; Eze 34:3; Ho 2:5,9). Syrian wool is found on the world's markets today, but it is not rated as first quality, partly because it is so contaminated with thorns, straw and other foreign matter which become entangled with the wool while the sheep are wandering over the barren, rocky mountain sides in search of food. Extensive pastures are almost unknown.

Two kinds of wool are sold:

(1) That obtained by shearing. This is removed from the animal as far as possible in one piece or fleece usually without previous washing. The fleeces are gathered in bales and carried to a washing-place, which is usually one of the stony river beds, with but a small stream flowing through it during the summer. The river bed is chosen because the rocks are clean and free from little sticks or straw which would cling to the washed wool. The purchaser of this washed wool submits it to a further washing with soap, ishnan (alkali plant), "soapwort", or other cleansing agent (see FULLER), and then cards it before spinning and weaving. The wool thus obtained is nearly snow white.

(2) The second supply of wool is from the tanneries where the wool is removed from the skins with slaked lime (see TANNER). This is washed in many changes of water and used for stuffing mattresses, quilts, etc., but not for weaving.

Gideon used a fleece of wool to seek an omen from God (Jud 6:37). Mesha, king of Moab, sent a large quantity of wool as a tribute to the king of Israel (2Ki 3:4). Wool was forbidden to be woven with linen (De 2:11; compare Le 19:19). Priests could not wear woolen garments (Eze 44:17). Wool dyed scarlet with the qermes was used in the blood-covenant ceremony (Heb 9:19; compare Le 14; Nu 19:6).

The whiteness of wool was used for comparison

(1) with snow (Ps 147:16);

(2) with sins forgiven (Isa 1:18);

(3) with hair (Da 7:9; Re 1:14).

James A. Patch

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