Word
woodwork
Phoneticswood·work, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈwʊdˌwɝk/
UK/wˈʊdwɜːk/
Definitions
01wooden parts of a building
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the wooden parts of a house or room, such as the doors, window frames, and the boards at the bottom of walls.
n. the wooden interior fittings of a building, specifically millwork such as doorframes, wainscoting, and skirting boards.
“We spent the weekend painting all the woodwork in the living room white.”
“The restoration project focused on stripping layers of old varnish from the original Victorian woodwork to reveal the mahogany beneath.”
Synonyms
02working with wood
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the activity or skill of making things out of wood.
n. the craft or activity of making objects from wood; carpentry.
“He took a woodwork class at the local college to learn how to build a bookshelf.”
“The school curriculum still includes woodwork, providing students with fundamental skills in joinery and tool safety.”
Synonyms
03place of concealment
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Informal
n. used in the phrase 'come out of the woodwork' to describe people who suddenly appear after being hidden or quiet.
n. a figurative place of obscurity or concealment, almost exclusively used in the idiom 'to come out of the woodwork'.
“As soon as he won the lottery, old friends started coming out of the woodwork.”
“Whenever a controversial policy is announced, critics from both sides of the aisle seem to come out of the woodwork to complain.”
Usage
Almost always used in the idiomatic phrase 'come out of the woodwork'.
04the goal frame
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Sports British English
n. the posts and the top bar of a goal in sports like football.
n. the frame of a goal, specifically the goalposts and crossbar, often used when a ball hits them instead of going in.
“The striker was unlucky when his shot hit the woodwork and bounced away.”
“The match remained scoreless after the home team struck the woodwork three times in the final ten minutes.”
Real-World Examples
“Israel hit the woodwork twice in the second half of a poor game in which neither side could fashion a winner.” “I began looking for the exits in the lead-up to the 2016 elections, as racists and homophobes started coming out of the woodwork.” Etymology
From Middle English woodewerk (“carpentry”), equivalent to wood + work.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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