woodwork
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the wooden parts of a house or room, such as the doors, window frames, and the boards at the bottom of walls.
the wooden interior fittings of a building, specifically millwork such as doorframes, wainscoting, and skirting boards.
Simple“We spent the weekend painting all the woodwork in the living room white.”
In context“The restoration project focused on stripping layers of old varnish from the original Victorian woodwork to reveal the mahogany beneath.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the activity or skill of making things out of wood.
the craft or activity of making objects from wood; carpentry.
Simple“He took a woodwork class at the local college to learn how to build a bookshelf.”
In context“The school curriculum still includes woodwork, providing students with fundamental skills in joinery and tool safety.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
used in the phrase 'come out of the woodwork' to describe people who suddenly appear after being hidden or quiet.
a figurative place of obscurity or concealment, almost exclusively used in the idiom 'to come out of the woodwork'.
Simple“As soon as he won the lottery, old friends started coming out of the woodwork.”
In context“Whenever a controversial policy is announced, critics from both sides of the aisle seem to come out of the woodwork to complain.”
UsageAlmost always used in the idiomatic phrase 'come out of the woodwork'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
the posts and the top bar of a goal in sports like football.
the frame of a goal, specifically the goalposts and crossbar, often used when a ball hits them instead of going in.
Simple“The striker was unlucky when his shot hit the woodwork and bounced away.”
In context“The match remained scoreless after the home team struck the woodwork three times in the final ten minutes.”
From Middle English woodewerk (“carpentry”), equivalent to wood + work.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.