woollen
gb/wˈʊlən/ us/wˈʊlən/
B1
English
~ 10000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
made from wool
Made from wool, usually talking about clothes or cloth.
Usage pattern:
woollen [item of clothing]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "wool" and "woollen" and say *"a wool sweater" or *"a sweater of woollen" incorrectly. Both "a wool sweater" and "a woollen sweater" are acceptable, but "woollen" must always describe a noun (e.g. "a woollen jumper"), while "wool" is usually a material noun and only sometimes used as an adjective. Learners may also mix spellings: "woollen" (UK) vs "woolen" (US).
Synonyms
woolen (Same meaning; preferred American spelling, while "woollen" is chiefly British.)
|
wool (Used before a noun as a modifier (e.g. "wool coat"); slightly more general and more common globally.)
Antonyms
cotton (Refers to items made from cotton instead of wool, so it contrasts with "woollen" when talking about fabric type.)
Collocations
woollen jumper
|woollen sweater
|woollen hat
|woollen scarf
|woollen socks
|woollen blanket
Themes
clothing
|materials
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She pulled on a thick woollen jumper before going out into the cold.
- Remember to pack a woollen hat and gloves for the trip.
- The baby was wrapped in a soft woollen blanket.
- He changed into woollen socks as soon as he got home.
- The shop sells handmade woollen scarves in bright colours.
Learner examples
- I bought a warm woollen coat.
- These woollen socks keep my feet dry.
- She gave me a blue woollen scarf.
- He wears a woollen hat in winter.
- The baby sleeps under a woollen blanket.
Noun
B2
entity
2
wool clothing items
Clothes made from wool, usually talked about as a group and usually said as "woollens".
Usage pattern:
wash/store [the] woollens
Common mistake:
Learners may not realise that this noun is normally plural and say *"a woollen" when referring to one item. In natural English, speakers usually say "woollens" for the group, or use a specific item name such as "a woollen sweater".
Synonyms
wool clothes (Informal description rather than a set noun; slightly more explicit but less compact than "woollens".)
Antonyms
summer clothes (Contrasts with typically warm, winter-focused woollen clothing.)
Collocations
wash woollens
|winter woollens
|store your woollens
|heavy woollens
|hand-wash woollens
|woollens cycle
Themes
clothing
|household
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- Use a gentle detergent when you wash your woollens.
- She packed away her winter woollens when the weather got warmer.
- The label says this programme is suitable for woollens only.
- Dry your woollens flat so they do not stretch.
- He keeps his woollens in a separate drawer to protect them from moths.
Learner examples
- I need a special soap for my woollens.
- In spring we put our woollens in a box.
- This washing machine has a button for woollens.
- Please do not put my woollens in the dryer.
- She wears her woollens only in cold weather.
Grammar
Dictionary form
woollen
IPA
GB/wˈʊlən/
US/wˈʊlən/
Syllables & stress
wool - len (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (wool)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: woollen
Noun
- Base: woollen
- Plural: woollens
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.