woodshed

noun wood·shed \ ˈwu̇d-ˌshed \

Definition of woodshed

1 :a shed for storing wood and especially firewood

2 :a place, means, or session for administering discipline

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Recent Examples of woodshed from the Web

Liverpool took Arsenal to the woodshed in the marquee Premier League matchup of the weekend, while Manchester United improved to a perfect 3-0-0 and still hasn't conceded on the young season–and neither has Huddersfield Town!

— avi creditor, SI.com, "Weekend Winners: Liverpool, Barcelona, Asensio Shine Before International Break," 28 Aug. 2017
The two men who agreed to become Trump's top White House advisers have also found themselves in the woodshed.

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "The Trump administration: Where your pride goes to die," 28 July 2017
Yesterday the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee put out a bunch of limp potential slogans for their would-be takeover of Congress in 2018, and Twitter summarily took them to the woodshed for it.

— drew magary, GQ, "Democrats Will Never Get Their Shit Together," 6 July 2017
Still, most experts do not expect Francis to take Trump to the woodshed -- or drag him to the confessional booth -- on Wednesday.

— daniel burke, CNN, "What will the Pope tell President Trump?," 23 May 2017
A Stephen A. Smith survives, kicking and screaming hot takes, while others are quietly taken to the woodshed.

— tom hoffarth, Orange County Register, "Hoffarth: ESPN employees are collateral damage as media giant reshapes mission," 29 Apr. 2017
Snow fell quietly on the streets and piled up on top of the woodsheds.

— jia tolentino, Bon Appetit, "Learning to Make Lasagna in Kyrgyzstan," 24 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'woodshed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of woodshed

1777

woodshed

verb

Definition of woodshed

woodshedded; woodshedding

intransitive verb

:practice; especially :to practice on a musical instrument

Origin and Etymology of woodshed

probably from the former use of woodsheds for private practicing

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1936

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WOODSHED Defined for English Language Learners

woodshed

noun

Definition of woodshed for English Language Learners

: a small building used for storing firewood

WOODSHED Defined for Kids

woodshed

noun wood·shed \ ˈwu̇d-ˌshed \

Definition of woodshed for Students

:a shed for storing firewood

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See words that rhyme with woodshed Spanish Central: Translation of woodshed Nglish: Translation of woodshed for Spanish speakers

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