What Are Some Words that Describe Wood?

Words that Describe Wood

If you are referring to wood, some good adjectives are:

Solid
Soft
Hard
Bumpy
Cut
Chipped
Sawed
Shiny
Polished
Glossy
Smooth
Rough
Sharp
Slivery
Burned
Carved
Engraved
Hardy
Porous
Resinous
Durable
Resistant
Solid
Strong
Natural
Grainy
Aged
Rustic
Stacked

Kinds of Trees

If you are describing the kind of tree it came from, then some words you could use would be: alder, amberwood, aspen, balau, basswood, birch, butternut, cedar, cherry, chestnut, daru, elm, hemlock, juniper, larch, lindenwood, locust, madrone, mahogany, maple, poplar, sassafras, spruce, sycamore, tamarack, tupelo, and willow.

Colors of Wood

Color adjectives would include: brown, dark, tan, pale, gray, black, white, yellow, reddish brown, dark brown, auburn, olive, green, and beige.

Smell of Wood

There are words that tell how it smells. These would be words like: musky, woodsy, dank, stale, moldy, decayed, rotten, musty, wet, fragrant, smoky, and sweet.

Other Woody Adjectives

Now that you have a whole list of words to answer your question, “What are some words that describe wood?” here are some wood-related words. Some adjectives refer to things made of wood or things that have something to do with wood. For example, if something is made of wood, it is “wooden” or just “wood.”

The word “xyl” means “wood”, so an adjective that starts with “xyl” has something to do with wood. For example:

xylophone - The xylophone was originally made of wood, hence the name for it.
xylophonic - This refers to the sound made by a xylophone.
xylographic/xylographical - These words refer to the art of engraving wood, or the process of printing from a wooden engraving.
xyloid - Something that is either of wood or like wood; woody.
xylophagous - This refers to something that eats wood, bores into it, or destroys it, like certain insects.

Uses of Wood

Wood is used in many things, from being used as a fuel to construction. It makes furniture, flooring, and musical instruments, like violins, marimbas, clarinets, and guitars. It can be carved into decoration and sculptures, or be made into sporting equipment, like canoes and baseball bats. There is even a chance that is may be used as a bone substitute in the future.

Lumber is categorized into softwood and hardwood.

Softwood Lumber

Softwood lumber comes from coniferous or evergreen trees. Softwood is porous so it is not as stable as hardwood. Here are some popular softwoods including things that are made from them:

Pine is easy to work with and does not swell or shrink much. It is used in making boxes, houses, paneling, and furniture.
Cedar is a reddish color of wood with a sweet smell. It resists decay and is used in closets and chests, Venetian blinds, planks, and posts.
Fir has a uniform texture and resists warping. It is used in furniture, door frames, trim, veneer, and windows.
Redwood is durable and good to work with. It is great for outdoor use because it resists decay, and is used in siding, outdoor furniture, and paneling.
Spruce is strong and finishes well. It works well as masts and spars on boats, as well as crates and ladders.
Hemlock is light with a uniform texture. It makes doors, planks, paneling, and crates.

Hardwood Lumber

Hardwood lumber comes from deciduous trees, which means they lose their leaves every fall. Here are some of the popular species:

Walnut is strong and has a fine texture. It is used in cabinets, paneling, gunstock, flooring, and furniture.
Oak bends well, is durable, and is good for making boat frames, furniture, and trim.
Mahogany has a fine grain and is reddish brown in color. It is very durable and expensive. It works well for cabinets, furniture, and boats.
Maple has a fine texture, is strong, and hard. It has little shrinkage, so it is good in flooring and furniture.
Cherry resists shrinking and warping and ages well. It is great for cabinets, boat trim, and furniture handles.
Rosewood is hard to work upon and is a close-grained wood. It is used in musical instruments, artwork, and furniture.
Teak is a hard, moisture-resistant wood that is great for ships, paneling, furniture, and flooring.
Shesham has deep grains and is very durable. It is easy to carve and is only used to make furniture.