woodshed

1 of 2

noun

wood·​shed ˈwu̇d-ˌshed How to pronounce woodshed (audio)
1
: a shed for storing wood and especially firewood
2
: a place, means, or session for administering discipline

woodshed

2 of 2

verb

woodshedded; woodshedding

intransitive verb

: practice
especially : to practice on a musical instrument

Examples of woodshed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Some major re-grouping is necessary for the coach and his team, who, on their way to California, stopped off in Denver, where on Sunday they got taken to the woodshed by the surging Denver Broncos. Jim Ingraham, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023 Amazon’s The Boys has spent three years playing a game of one-upmanship, initially taking the somewhat fatigued superhero genre out behind the woodshed with layers of corporate satire, increasingly salty and nihilistic language and tidal waves of bodily fluids. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2023 Founder Isaac Morton came up with the idea for the company after restoring vintage cast iron pieces in his woodshed. Amanda Ogle, Treehugger, 30 May 2023 The day after they were born, Costa’s father quickly entered the woodshed and stole the puppies while the mother dog, Gira, was out. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2023 Every Saturday morning, about 15–20 volunteers gather at a woodshed in the tiny town of Searsmont, Maine. Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 2 Feb. 2023 Outside are a covered porch, a backyard firepit, and a woodshed. The Week Staff, The Week, 30 Oct. 2022 Some 160 years later, Bush White House economist Lawrence Lindsey would be taken to the woodshed for predicting the Iraq War might cost $50 billion. Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 Their woodshed had been shielded with metal screen panels to keep out embers, and their doormats were made of metal grating. Ingfei Chen, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2022
Verb
In addition to its sheer size, they were met with other obstacles—say a cabin or a random woodshed nestled among the trees—with each route taking anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to completely document. Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Nov. 2022 Certainly, if Kentucky or any other state with an Intercept or Aid program failed to honor their pledge of financial assistance, they would be taken to the municipal bond woodshed by the capital market. Marilyn Cohen, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2022 But while lack of work and income was, of course, a big downside, some hit the proverbial woodshed and emerged as stronger players. Rob Hubbard, Star Tribune, 16 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woodshed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably from the former use of woodsheds for private practicing

First Known Use

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of woodshed was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near woodshed

Cite this Entry

“Woodshed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woodshed. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

woodshed

noun
wood·​shed
-ˌshed
: a shed for storing wood and especially firewood

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