deathwatches

Wood Wood, n. [OE. wode, wude, AS. wudu, wiodu; akin to OHG. witu, Icel. vi?r, Dan. & Sw. ved wood, and probably to Ir. & Gael. fiodh, W. gwydd trees, shrubs.] [1913 Webster] 1. A large and thick collection of trees; a forest or grove; -- frequently used in the plural. [1913 Webster]

Light thickens, and the crow Makes wing to the rooky wood. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

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.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Note: Wood consists chiefly of the carbohydrates cellulose and lignin, which are isomeric with starch. [1913 Webster]

4. Trees cut or sawed for the fire or other uses. [1913 Webster]

{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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) (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} (Zo["o]l.), a small European cricket ({Nemobius sylvestris}).

{Wood culver} (Zo["o]l.), the wood pigeon.

{Wood cut}, an engraving on wood; also, a print from such an engraving.

{Wood dove} (Zo["o]l.), the stockdove.

{Wood drink}, a decoction or infusion of medicinal woods.

{Wood duck} (Zo["o]l.) (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) (Zo["o]l.) Any of several species of small beetles whose larv[ae] 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} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of beetles whose larv[ae] bore in the wood, or beneath the bark, of trees.

{Wood frog} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The capercailzie. (b) The spruce partridge. See under {Spruce}.

{Wood guest} (Zo["o]l.), the ringdove. [Prov. Eng.]

{Wood hen}. (Zo["o]l.) (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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), a European spotted moth ({Zeuzera [ae]sculi}) 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} (Zo["o]l.) (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 {Psocid[ae]}, 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} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous small mites of the family {Oribatid[ae]}. 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) (Zo["o]l.) Any one of several species of handsomely colored moths belonging to the genus {Eudryas}. The larv[ae] are bright-colored, and some of the species, as {Eudryas grata}, and {Eudryas unio}, feed on the leaves of the grapevine. (c) (Zo["o]l.) 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. [1913 Webster]

We cast the lots . . . for the wood offering. --Neh. x. 34. [1913 Webster]

{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} (Zo["o]l.), a North American tyrant flycatcher ({Contopus virens}). It closely resembles the pewee, but is smaller.

{Wood pie} (Zo["o]l.), any black and white woodpecker, especially the European great spotted woodpecker.

{Wood pigeon}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any one of numerous species of Old World pigeons belonging to {Palumbus} and allied genera of the family {Columbid[ae]}. (b) The ringdove.

{Wood puceron} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the cottontail.

{Wood rat} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the hooded merganser.

{Wood shock} (Zo["o]l.), the fisher. See {Fisher}, 2.

{Wood shrike} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The American woodcock. (b) An Asiatic snipe ({Gallinago nemoricola}).

{Wood soot}, soot from burnt wood.

{Wood sore}. (Zo["o]l.) 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the yaffle.

{Wood swallow} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of Old World passerine birds belonging to the genus {Artamus} and allied genera of the family {Artamid[ae]}. 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} (Zo["o]l.), any woodpecker.

{Wood tar}. See under {Tar}.

{Wood thrush}, (Zo["o]l.) (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} (Zo["o]l.), the goldcgest.

{Wood tortoise} (Zo["o]l.), the sculptured tortoise. See under {Sculptured}.

{Wood vine} (Bot.), the white bryony.

{Wood vinegar}. See {Wood acid}, above.

{Wood warbler}. (Zo["o]l.) (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} (Zo["o]l.), a larva that bores in wood; a wood borer.

{Wood wren}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The wood warbler. (b) The willow warbler. [1913 Webster]