woody

1 of 2

adjective

ˈwu̇-dē 

woodier; woodiest

1

: abounding or overgrown with woods

2

a

: of or containing wood or wood fibers : ligneous

woody tissues

b

: having woody parts : rich in xylem and associated structures

woody plants

3

: characteristic of or suggestive of wood

wine with a woody flavor

woodiness noun

woody

2 of 2

noun

ˈwu̇-dē 

variants or woodie

plural woodies

: a wood-paneled station wagon

Examples of woody in a Sentence

Adjective

a woody piece of land

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Using your rosemary plant often is one way to keep it healthy because harvesting promotes new bushy growth and keeps stems from becoming woody. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025

In contrast, the Shasta ground sloth exhibited dental microwear textures more akin to those in leaf-eating and woody plant-eating herbivores. —Aditya Reddy Kurre, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025

Noun

In the forest, carpenter ants have a job to do, recycling woody debris, such as dead trees and fallen logs. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2025

Meanwhile, separate the broccoli head from the stem and then slice or peel off the woody exterior from the stem. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of wood entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for woody

• goody
• hoodie

Kids Definition

woody

adjective

ˈwu̇d-ē

woodier; woodiest

1

: having or covered with trees

a woody piece of land

2

: of or containing wood or wood fibers

woody plant tissue

3

: characteristic of or similar to wood

a woody texture