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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.
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Examples of wooden in a Sentence
Yasmeen Saadi, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Dec. 2024
Their specialties include 45-piece discovery boxes, hot chocolate mix, and the unique Chocolate Box - a massive block of chocolate with wooden mallets.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
The 178-foot ship Munger referred to was the James R. Bentley, a wooden schooner that sank in Lake Huron, just north of Rogers City, Michigan, on Nov. 12, 1878.
—Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 31 Dec. 2024
The theme matched their signature Texan vibe with cutlery with wooden handles, black and white gingham napkins and plenty of cowboy hats.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Wooden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wooden. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
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