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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
Graydon Carter, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
From the earliest handmade wooden lures to swimbaits made of modern materials, there are countless freshwater lures available, each designed to meet the specific needs of the angler.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
In two northern towns, hundreds of women celebrated last week by playfully hitting men who teased them as a part of ritual with wooden sticks.
—Associated Press, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
The interior design features curved wooden elements that not only add sculptural beauty but also enhance sound quality throughout the venue.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 14 Mar. 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 17 Mar. 2025.
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