wood

Everyday

1. Wood is the hard material that trees are made of, used for building, furniture and fires. tree →
2. A wood, or the woods, is a small forest. tree →
3. A piece of wood is a plank, stick or log. tree →

In the lessons

In school maths: a material measured or cut (pieces of wood, logs, planks); material per item is a rate; a walk through the woods. In science: wood comes from trees, floats on water, is a natural material that burns and is a poor conductor of heat. In stories: a cottage in the woods, getting lost in the woods. Phrases: «made of wood», «a piece of wood», «in the woods», «touch wood», «not out of the woods yet» (not safe yet).

Examples

• He has a piece of wood 2 meters long. tree →
• She cut the wood into 4 equal parts. tree →
• Each birdhouse needs 3 pieces of wood. tree →
• They walked 2 km through the woods. tree →
• The table is made of wood. tree →
• Wood floats, but a stone sinks. tree →
• Little Red Riding Hood walked through the woods. tree →
• We gathered dry wood for the campfire. tree →
• They came to a great wood. tree →

Note

Material «wood» is uncountable («some wood», «a piece of wood»); a forest «a wood», «the woods» is countable. «Wooden» is the adjective: «a wooden spoon». Do not confuse with «would». Maths: material per item is a rate; cutting into equal parts divides. Safety: build a campfire only with a grown-up.

In Jewish tradition

In the Torah it is the material for the Tabernacle, the altar and the ark, especially acacia wood, and also firewood for the altar.

Interpretation. Tradition notes the Tabernacle's acacia wood was given by the people. The rabbis said the ark's wood was covered in gold within and without.

Examples

• and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood; (Torah EXO.25.5, JPS 1917) tree →
• And he made staves of acacia-wood, and overlaid them with gold. (Torah EXO.37.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• And thou shalt make staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold. (Torah EXO.25.13, JPS 1917) tree →
• He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. (Writings JOB.41.19, JPS 1917) tree →
• And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood. (Prophets 2KI.6.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. (Writings NEH.13.31, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Material «wood» is uncountable («some wood», «a piece of wood»); a forest «a wood», «the woods» is countable. «Wooden» is the adjective: «a wooden spoon». Do not confuse with «would». Maths: material per item is a rate; cutting into equal parts divides. Safety: build a campfire only with a grown-up.