DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Wood, n.
1. A large and thick collection of trees; a forest or grove; -- frequently used in the plural.
Light thickens, and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood. --Shak.
2. The substance of trees and the like; the hard fibrous substance which composes the body of a tree and its branches, and which is covered by the bark; timber. “To worship their own work in wood and stone for gods.”
3. Bot. The fibrous material which makes up the greater part of the stems and branches of trees and shrubby plants, and is found to a less extent in herbaceous stems. It consists of elongated tubular or needle-shaped cells of various kinds, usually interwoven with the shinning bands called silver grain.
Note: ☞ Wood consists chiefly of the carbohydrates cellulose and lignin, which are isomeric with starch.
4. Trees cut or sawed for the fire or other uses.
Wood acid, Wood vinegar Chem., a complex acid liquid obtained in the dry distillation of wood, and containing large quantities of acetic acid; hence, specifically, acetic acid. Formerly called pyroligneous acid.
Wood anemone Bot., a delicate flower (Anemone nemorosa) of early spring; -- also called windflower. See Illust. of Anemone.
Wood ant Zool., a large ant (Formica rufa) which lives in woods and forests, and constructs large nests.
Wood apple Bot.. See Elephant apple, under Elephant.
Wood baboon Zool., the drill.
Wood betony. Bot. (a) Same as Betony. (b) The common American lousewort (Pedicularis Canadensis), a low perennial herb with yellowish or purplish flowers.
Wood borer. Zool. (a) The larva of any one of numerous species of boring beetles, esp. elaters, longicorn beetles, buprestidans, and certain weevils. See Apple borer, under Apple, and Pine weevil, under Pine. (b) The larva of any one of various species of lepidopterous insects, especially of the clearwing moths, as the peach-tree borer (see under Peach), and of the goat moths. (c) The larva of various species of hymenopterous of the tribe Urocerata. See Tremex. (d) Any one of several bivalve shells which bore in wood, as the teredos, and species of Xylophaga. (e) Any one of several species of small Crustacea, as the Limnoria, and the boring amphipod (Chelura terebrans).
Wood carpet, a kind of floor covering made of thin pieces of wood secured to a flexible backing, as of cloth. --Knight.
Wood cell Bot., a slender cylindrical or prismatic cell usually tapering to a point at both ends. It is the principal constituent of woody fiber.
Wood choir, the choir, or chorus, of birds in the woods. [Poetic] --Coleridge.
Wood coal, charcoal; also, lignite, or brown coal.
Wood cricket Zool., a small European cricket (Nemobius sylvestris).
Wood culver Zool., the wood pigeon.
Wood cut, an engraving on wood; also, a print from such an engraving.
Wood dove Zool., the stockdove.
Wood drink, a decoction or infusion of medicinal woods.
Wood duck Zool. (a) A very beautiful American duck (Aix sponsa). The male has a large crest, and its plumage is varied with green, purple, black, white, and red. It builds its nest in trees, whence the name. Called also bridal duck, summer duck, and wood widgeon. (b) The hooded merganser. (c) The Australian maned goose (Chlamydochen jubata).
Wood echo, an echo from the wood.
Wood engraver. (a) An engraver on wood. (b) Zool. Any of several species of small beetles whose larvae bore beneath the bark of trees, and excavate furrows in the wood often more or less resembling coarse engravings; especially, Xyleborus xylographus.
Wood engraving. (a) The act or art engraving on wood; xylography. (b) An engraving on wood; a wood cut; also, a print from such an engraving.
Wood fern. Bot. See Shield fern, under Shield.
Wood fiber. (a) Bot. Fibrovascular tissue. (b) Wood comminuted, and reduced to a powdery or dusty mass.
Wood fretter Zool., any one of numerous species of beetles whose larvae bore in the wood, or beneath the bark, of trees.
Wood frog Zool., a common North American frog (Rana sylvatica) which lives chiefly in the woods, except during the breeding season. It is drab or yellowish brown, with a black stripe on each side of the head.
Wood germander. Bot. See under Germander.
Wood god, a fabled sylvan deity.
Wood grass. Bot. See under Grass.
Wood grouse. Zool. (a) The capercailzie. (b) The spruce partridge. See under Spruce.
Wood guest Zool., the ringdove. [Prov. Eng.]
Wood hen. Zool. (a) Any one of several species of Old World short-winged rails of the genus Ocydromus, including the weka and allied species. (b) The American woodcock.
Wood hoopoe Zool., any one of several species of Old World arboreal birds belonging to Irrisor and allied genera. They are closely allied to the common hoopoe, but have a curved beak, and a longer tail.
Wood ibis Zool., any one of several species of large, long-legged, wading birds belonging to the genus Tantalus. The head and neck are naked or scantily covered with feathers. The American wood ibis (Tantalus loculator) is common in Florida.
Wood lark Zool., a small European lark (Alauda arborea), which, like, the skylark, utters its notes while on the wing. So called from its habit of perching on trees.
Wood laurel Bot., a European evergreen shrub (Daphne Laureola).
Wood leopard Zool., a European spotted moth (Zeuzera aesculi) allied to the goat moth. Its large fleshy larva bores in the wood of the apple, pear, and other fruit trees.
Wood lily Bot., the lily of the valley.
Wood lock Naut., a piece of wood close fitted and sheathed with copper, in the throating or score of the pintle, to keep the rudder from rising.
Wood louse Zool. (a) Any one of numerous species of terrestrial isopod Crustacea belonging to Oniscus, Armadillo, and related genera. See Sow bug, under Sow, and Pill bug, under Pill. (b) Any one of several species of small, wingless, pseudoneuropterous insects of the family Psocidae, which live in the crevices of walls and among old books and papers. Some of the species are called also book lice, and deathticks, or deathwatches.
Wood mite Zool., any one of numerous small mites of the family Oribatidae. They are found chiefly in woods, on tree trunks and stones.
Wood mote. Eng. Law (a) Formerly, the forest court. (b) The court of attachment.
Wood nettle. Bot. See under Nettle.
Wood nightshade Bot., woody nightshade.
Wood nut Bot., the filbert.
Wood nymph. a A nymph inhabiting the woods; a fabled goddess of the woods; a dryad. “The wood nymphs, decked with daisies trim.” --Milton. (b) Zool. Any one of several species of handsomely colored moths belonging to the genus Eudryas. The larvae are bright-colored, and some of the species, as Eudryas grata, and Eudryas unio, feed on the leaves of the grapevine. (c) Zool. Any one of several species of handsomely colored South American humming birds belonging to the genus Thalurania. The males are bright blue, or green and blue.
Wood offering, wood burnt on the altar.
We cast the lots . . . for the wood offering. --Neh. x. 34.
-- Wood oil Bot., a resinous oil obtained from several East Indian trees of the genus Dipterocarpus, having properties similar to those of copaiba, and sometimes substituted for it. It is also used for mixing paint. See Gurjun.
Wood opal Min., a striped variety of coarse opal, having some resemblance to wood.
Wood paper, paper made of wood pulp. See Wood pulp, below.
Wood pewee Zool., a North American tyrant flycatcher (Contopus virens). It closely resembles the pewee, but is smaller.
Wood pie Zool., any black and white woodpecker, especially the European great spotted woodpecker.
Wood pigeon. Zool. (a) Any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to Palumbus and allied genera of the family Columbidae. (b) The ringdove.
Wood puceron Zool., a plant louse.
Wood pulp Technol., vegetable fiber obtained from the poplar and other white woods, and so softened by digestion with a hot solution of alkali that it can be formed into sheet paper, etc. It is now produced on an immense scale.
Wood quail Zool., any one of several species of East Indian crested quails belonging to Rollulus and allied genera, as the red-crested wood quail (Rollulus roulroul), the male of which is bright green, with a long crest of red hairlike feathers.
Wood rabbit Zool., the cottontail.
Wood rat Zool., any one of several species of American wild rats of the genus Neotoma found in the Southern United States; -- called also bush rat. The Florida wood rat (Neotoma Floridana) is the best-known species.
Wood reed grass Bot., a tall grass (Cinna arundinacea) growing in moist woods.
Wood reeve, the steward or overseer of a wood. [Eng.]
Wood rush Bot., any plant of the genus Luzula, differing from the true rushes of the genus Juncus chiefly in having very few seeds in each capsule.
Wood sage Bot., a name given to several labiate plants of the genus Teucrium. See Germander.
Wood screw, a metal screw formed with a sharp thread, and usually with a slotted head, for insertion in wood.
Wood sheldrake Zool., the hooded merganser.
Wood shock Zool., the fisher. See Fisher, 2.
Wood shrike Zool., any one of numerous species of Old World singing birds belonging to Grallina, Collyricincla, Prionops, and allied genera, common in India and Australia. They are allied to the true shrikes, but feed upon both insects and berries.
Wood snipe. Zool. (a) The American woodcock. (b) An Asiatic snipe (Gallinago nemoricola).
Wood soot, soot from burnt wood.
Wood sore. Zool. See Cuckoo spit, under Cuckoo.
Wood sorrel Bot., a plant of the genus Oxalis (Oxalis Acetosella), having an acid taste. See Illust. (a) of Shamrock.
Wood spirit. Chem. See Methyl alcohol, under Methyl.
Wood stamp, a carved or engraved block or stamp of wood, for impressing figures or colors on fabrics.
Wood star Zool., any one of several species of small South American humming birds belonging to the genus Calothorax. The male has a brilliant gorget of blue, purple, and other colors.
Wood sucker Zool., the yaffle.
Wood swallow Zool., any one of numerous species of Old World passerine birds belonging to the genus Artamus and allied genera of the family Artamidae. They are common in the East Indies, Asia, and Australia. In form and habits they resemble swallows, but in structure they resemble shrikes. They are usually black above and white beneath.
Wood tapper Zool., any woodpecker.
Wood tar. See under Tar.
Wood thrush, Zool. (a) An American thrush (Turdus mustelinus) noted for the sweetness of its song. See under Thrush. (b) The missel thrush.
Wood tick. See in Vocabulary.
Wood tin. Min.. See Cassiterite.
Wood titmouse Zool., the goldcgest.
Wood tortoise Zool., the sculptured tortoise. See under Sculptured.
Wood vine Bot., the white bryony.
Wood vinegar. See Wood acid, above.
Wood warbler. Zool. (a) Any one of numerous species of American warblers of the genus Dendroica. See Warbler. (b) A European warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix); -- called also green wren, wood wren, and yellow wren.
Wood worm Zool., a larva that bores in wood; a wood borer.
Wood wren. Zool. (a) The wood warbler. (b) The willow warbler.
Grass n.
1. Popularly: Herbage; the plants which constitute the food of cattle and other beasts; pasture.
2. Bot. An endogenous plant having simple leaves, a stem generally jointed and tubular, the husks or glumes in pairs, and the seed single.
Note: ☞ This definition includes wheat, rye, oats, barley, etc., and excludes clover and some other plants which are commonly called by the name of grass. The grasses form a numerous family of plants.
3. The season of fresh grass; spring. [Colloq.]
Two years old next grass. --Latham.
4. Metaphorically used for what is transitory.
Surely the people is grass. --Is. xl. 7.
Note: ☞ The following list includes most of the grasses of the United States of special interest, except cereals. Many of these terms will be found with definitions in the Vocabulary. See Illustrations in Appendix.
Barnyard grass, for hay. South. Panicum Grus-galli.
Bent, pasture and hay. Agrostis, several species.
Bermuda grass, pasture. South. Cynodon Dactylon.
Black bent. Same as Switch grass (below).
Blue bent, hay. North and West. Andropogon provincialis.
Blue grass, pasture. Poa compressa.
Blue joint, hay. Northwest. Aqropyrum glaucum.
Buffalo grass, grazing. Rocky Mts., etc. (a) Buchloë dectyloides. (b) Same as Grama grass (below).
Bunch grass, grazing. Far West. Eriocoma, Festuca, Stips, etc.
Chess, or Cheat, a weed. Bromus secalinus, etc.
Couch grass. Same as Quick grass (below).
Crab grass, (a) Hay, in South. A weed, in North. Panicum sanguinale. (b) Pasture and hay. South. Eleusine Indica.
Darnel (a) Bearded, a noxious weed. Lolium temulentum. (b) Common. Same as Rye grass (below).
Drop seed, fair for forage and hay. Muhlenbergia, several species.
English grass. Same as Redtop (below).
Fowl meadow grass. (a) Pasture and hay. Poa serotina. (b) Hay, on moist land. Gryceria nervata.
Gama grass, cut fodder. South. Tripsacum dactyloides.
Grama grass, grazing. West and Pacific slope. Bouteloua oligostachya, etc.
Great bunch grass, pasture and hay. Far West. Festuca scabrella.
Guinea grass, hay. South. Panicum jumentorum.
Herd's grass, in New England Timothy, in Pennsylvania and South Redtop.
Indian grass. Same as Wood grass (below).
Italian rye grass, forage and hay. Lolium Italicum.
Johnson grass, grazing and hay. South and Southwest. Sorghum Halepense.
Kentucky blue grass, pasture. Poa pratensis.
Lyme grass, coarse hay. South. Elymus, several species.
Manna grass, pasture and hay. Glyceria, several species.
Meadow fescue, pasture and hay. Festuca elatior.
Meadow foxtail, pasture, hay, lawn. North. Alopecurus pratensis.
Meadow grass, pasture, hay, lawn. Poa, several species.
Mesquite grass, or Muskit grass. Same as Grama grass (above).
Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed. Muhlenbergia diffsa.
Orchard grass, pasture and hay. Dactylis glomerata.
Porcupine grass, troublesome to sheep. Northwest. Stipa spartea.
Quaking grass, ornamental. Briza media and maxima.
Quitch, or Quick, grass, etc., a weed. Agropyrum repens.
Ray grass. Same as Rye grass (below).
Redtop, pasture and hay. Agrostis vulgaris.
Red-topped buffalo grass, forage. Northwest. Poa tenuifolia.
Reed canary grass, of slight value. Phalaris arundinacea.
Reed meadow grass, hay. North. Glyceria aquatica.
Ribbon grass, a striped leaved form of Reed canary grass.
Rye grass, pasture, hay. Lolium perenne, var.
Seneca grass, fragrant basket work, etc. North. Hierochloa borealis.
Sesame grass. Same as Gama grass (above).
Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native in Northern Europe and Asia. Festuca ovina.
Small reed grass, meadow pasture and hay. North. Deyeuxia Canadensis.
Spear grass, Same as Meadow grass (above).
Squirrel-tail grass, troublesome to animals. Seacoast and Northwest. Hordeum jubatum.
Switch grass, hay, cut young. Panicum virgatum.
Timothy, cut young, the best of hay. North. Phleum pratense.
Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. Holcus lanatus.
Vernal grass, pasture, hay, lawn. Anthoxanthum odoratum.
Wire grass, valuable in pastures. Poa compressa.
Wood grass, Indian grass, hay. Chrysopogon nutans.
Note: ☞ Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not true grasses botanically considered, such as black grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
Black grass, a kind of small rush (Juncus Gerardi), growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.
Grass of the Andes, an oat grass, the Arrhenatherum avenaceum of Europe.-- Grass of Parnassus, a plant of the genus Parnassia growing in wet ground. The European species is Parnassia palustris; in the United States there are several species.
Grass bass Zool., the calico bass.
Grass bird, the dunlin.
Grass cloth, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the grass-cloth plant.
Grass-cloth plant, a perennial herb of the Nettle family (Bœhmeria nivea syn. Urtica nivea), which grows in Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and strong fibers suited for textile purposes.
Grass finch. Zool. (a) A common American sparrow (Poöcætes gramineus); -- called also vesper sparrow and bay-winged bunting. (b) Any Australian finch, of the genus Poëphila, of which several species are known.
Grass lamb, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land and giving rich milk.-- Grass land, land kept in grass and not tilled.
Grass moth Zool., one of many small moths of the genus Crambus, found in grass.
Grass oil, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in India from grasses of the genus Andropogon, etc.; -- used in perfumery under the name of citronella, ginger grass oil, lemon grass oil, essence of verbena etc.
Grass owl Zool., a South African owl (Strix Capensis).
Grass parrakeet Zool., any of several species of Australian parrots, of the genus Euphemia; -- also applied to the zebra parrakeet.
Grass plover Zool., the upland or field plover.
Grass poly Bot., a species of willowwort (Lythrum Hyssopifolia). --Johnson.
Crass quit Zool., one of several tropical American finches of the genus Euetheia. The males have most of the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.
Grass snake. Zool. (a) The common English, or ringed, snake (Tropidonotus natrix). (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States. See Green snake, under Green.
Grass snipe Zool., the pectoral sandpiper (Tringa maculata); -- called also jacksnipe in America.
Grass spider Zool., a common spider (Agelena nævia), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous when covered with dew.
Grass sponge Zool., an inferior kind of commercial sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.
Grass table. Arch. See Earth table, under Earth.
Grass vetch Bot., a vetch (Lathyrus Nissolia), with narrow grasslike leaves.
Grass widow.
Grass wrack Bot. eelgrass.
To bring to grass Mining., to raise, as ore, to the surface of the ground.
To put to grass, To put out to grass, to put out to graze a season, as cattle.