woodcut

noun

wood·​cut ˈwu̇d-ˌkət 

1

: a relief printing surface consisting of a wooden block with a usually pictorial design cut with the grain

2

: a print from a woodcut

Examples of woodcut in a Sentence

a collection of fine woodcuts

Recent Examples on the Web

Hundreds of true-crime pamphlets circulated, adorned with woodcuts depicting horrific acts of dismemberment, torture, and witchcraft. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 June 2026

By this time, Eichenberg viewed his own art as an articulation of social conscience, an expression of common feeling revealed through the woodcut reduction. —Jessica George, JSTOR Daily, 27 May 2026

Versions appeared on teapots and woodcuts and the masthead of William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper The Liberator. —Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026

The exhibition features new blue horse paintings, portraits, woodcut prints, drawings and bronze sculptures. —Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for woodcut

• abut
• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• doughnut
• groundnut
• haircut
• hindgut
• midgut
• precut
• rebut

Kids Definition

woodcut

noun

wood·​cut -ˌkət 

1

: a printing surface having a raised design carved from a block of wood

2

: a print from a woodcut