Did you know?
Humans have been making objects out of wood since before there even was an English language, but the adjectival use of "wood" didn't come into being until the 14th century, and "wooden" didn't appear until the 16th. (The word wood has ancient roots, but it originally existed only as a noun.) In Middle English, the adjective of choice was "tree" or "treen," as in a "tree vessel" or "treen shoes." "Treen" in turn came from the Old English word trēowen, from the noun "trēow" ("tree") and the suffix -en, which was used to indicate that something was composed of a certain material. As far as we know, no one ever used "treen" figuratively to describe things that are stiff as a board, but "wooden" was put to broader use soon after it was first recorded.
Examples of wooden in a Sentence
Alex Ritman, Variety, 13 May 2025
Instead of using a plastic cutting board, use a wooden one.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 May 2025
Breaking out of a wooden cage to grind against a stripper pole in a green bolero jacket, tongue-flashing rapper Käärijä certainly committed to the theme.
—Nick Allen, Vulture, 13 May 2025
In traditional Korean weddings, carrying Mandarin-style wooden ducks (won-ang seteu) down the aisle symbolizes the groom's commitment to his partner and represents virtues like fidelity, harmony, and family.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wooden
Cite this Entry
“Wooden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wooden. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share