woodwork

noun

wood·​work ˈwu̇d-ˌwərk 

1

: work made of wood

especially : interior fittings (such as moldings or stairways) of wood

2

: a place or state of concealment, seclusion, or anonymity

witnesses came out of the woodwork when a reward was offered

Examples of woodwork in a Sentence

We painted the walls white and the woodwork red.

The kick hit the woodwork.

Recent Examples on the Web

The lawmaker said if polling begins to show members slipping in key swing districts with Biden at the top of the ticket, putting the House in jeopardy, more Democrats may come out of the woodwork to urge the president to drop out of the race. —Mike Lillis, The Hill, 9 July 2024

There is a lovely trine overhead between the Moon in your partnership sector and Jupiter in your friendship sector, bringing all sorts out of the woodwork, begging you to come out and play. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2024

Restoration of the five-story, six-bedroom home won a preservation award; historic details include mahogany woodwork, ornate plasterwork and stained glass, four oval rooms, and a 1920s upstairs library; updates include an eat-in chef's kitchen. —The Week Staff, theweek, 14 Feb. 2024

And now, because of streaming or the just evolution of taste, there’s other songs that have come out of the woodwork that people like more. —Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing woodwork

• come/crawl out of the woodwork
• fade into the woodwork
• into the woodwork

Kids Definition

woodwork

noun

wood·​work -ˌwərk 

: work made of wood

especially : interior fittings (as window frames or stairways) of wood