wool
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the soft, thick hair that grows on sheep, goats, or llamas.
the dense, curly hair forming the coat of sheep and similar ruminants.
Simple“The farmer sheared the sheep to collect their thick winter wool.”
In context“High-quality wool is harvested from Merino sheep, prized for its exceptional softness and thermal properties compared to coarser varieties.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
a warm material or thread used for making clothes like sweaters and blankets.
textile fabric or yarn made from the processed hair of sheep or other animals.
Simple“She bought three balls of blue wool to knit a scarf for her brother.”
In context“The designer opted for a heavy wool blend to ensure the winter coat maintained its structure while providing maximum insulation.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a material that looks or feels like sheep's hair, such as steel wool for cleaning.
any substance with a fibrous or tangled texture resembling animal wool.
Simple“Use a piece of steel wool to scrub the rust off the old metal pan.”
In context“The cavity walls were packed with mineral wool to improve the building's energy efficiency and soundproofing.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
a person who lives in a town just outside of Liverpool.
a derogatory term for a resident of the satellite towns surrounding Liverpool, such as St Helens or Warrington.
Simple“He grew up in St Helens, so some people in Liverpool call him a wool.”
In context“The term 'wool' is often used by Liverpudlians to distinguish themselves from those living in the surrounding industrial boroughs.”
Teacher's tipThis is a very specific regional term used in the North West of England; learners should avoid using it as it can be seen as insulting.
Synonyms
From Middle English wolle, from Old English wull, from Proto-West Germanic wullu, from Proto-Germanic wullō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wĺ̥h₁neh₂. Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Wulle, German Low German Wull, Dutch wol, German Wolle, Norwegian ull; also Welsh gwlân, Latin lāna, Lithuanian vi̇̀lna, Russian во́лос (vólos), Slovak vlna, Bulgarian влас (vlas), Albanian lesh (“wool, hair, fleece”). Doublet of lana. The vowel development u → o → oo is purely graphical. Modern English generally avoids the string ⟨wu⟩ in favour of ⟨wo⟩, and the resulting woll was then altered to wool (as supposedly better representing the pronunciation).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.