wool
gb/wˈʊl/ us/wˈʊl/
A2
Anglais
~ 7600
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A2
entity
1
textile material from sheep’s hair
A soft hair from sheep that people use to make clothes, blankets, and other warm things.
Schéma d’usage :
made of wool
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse “wool” with “fur” or “hair.” Use “wool” for the material from sheep that is used for clothes and blankets, and “fur” for the soft hair on some animals that is not usually spun into yarn. Another common mistake is saying *“a wool”* for material; use “wool” as an uncountable noun (e.g., “made of wool,” not “made of a wool”).
Synonymes
woolen fabric (Focuses on cloth made from wool, not the raw fiber itself.)
Antonymes
synthetic fabric (Refers to man‑made materials like polyester, often used instead of wool.)
Collocations
pure wool
|wool sweater
|wool socks
|wool coat
|wool blanket
|merino wool
Thèmes
clothing
|materials
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- This jacket is made of 100% wool, so it’s very warm.
- She prefers wool socks in winter because they keep her feet dry.
- The label says the scarf is a mix of wool and acrylic.
- Merino wool is softer and less itchy than regular wool.
- They bought a thick wool blanket for their camping trip.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I wear a wool hat when it is cold.
- These pants are wool, not cotton.
- My grandmother knits warm wool sweaters.
- The red coat is wool and very heavy.
- He washed his wool jumper in hot water and it shrank.
Nom
B1
entity
2
hair growing on sheep and similar animals
The thick, soft hair on a sheep or some other animals before people cut it off to use it.
Schéma d’usage :
the wool on [an animal]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes use “fur” instead of “wool” for sheep. In English, sheep and similar animals like goats and alpacas are usually said to have “wool,” not “fur.”
Synonymes
fleece (Commonly used for the full coat of wool on a sheep, especially when talking about shearing.)
Antonymes
bare skin (Describes the animal’s body with the wool removed, the opposite physical state of being covered in wool.)
Collocations
sheep’s wool
|thick wool
|soft wool
|clip the wool
|grow wool
|coarse wool
Thèmes
animals
|agriculture
|materials
|clothing
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The sheep’s wool had grown so long that it could barely see.
- Farmers shear the wool from the sheep every spring.
- This breed is raised mainly for its fine wool.
- After the storm, bits of wool were caught on the fence.
- The lamb’s wool was still short and very soft.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The sheep has very thick wool.
- They cut the wool from the sheep in summer.
- This farm sells wool from its own sheep.
- I saw white wool on the fence in the field.
- Some sheep have soft wool and some have rough wool.
Nom
technical
B2
entity
3
wool-like fibrous industrial material
A soft, wool-like material made from things like metal or glass, used for cleaning or keeping heat in.
Schéma d’usage :
[material] wool
Synonymes
fibrous insulation (Used mainly for insulation products like glass wool or mineral wool, not for cleaning products like steel wool.)
Antonymes
solid sheet metal (Contrasts a dense, non-fibrous form of material with the loose, fibrous structure of products like steel wool.)
Collocations
steel wool
|glass wool
|mineral wool
|rock wool
|wire wool
Thèmes
materials
|technology
|household
|work
|daily_life
Exemples
- Use steel wool to scrub the burnt food off the pan.
- The walls are filled with mineral wool for better sound insulation.
- Glass wool can irritate the skin, so you should wear gloves.
- They replaced the old rock wool with a safer modern material.
- The mechanic cleaned the rust off the bolt with a pad of wire wool.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He used steel wool to clean the pot.
- The house has mineral wool in the walls.
- Glass wool helps keep the building warm.
- Do not touch the glass wool with bare hands.
- We bought steel wool to clean the old pan.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
wool
API
GB/wˈʊl/
US/wˈʊl/
Syllabes et accentuation
wool (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (wool)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: wool
- Plural: wool, wools
Famille de mots
Forms
wools
noun
Core family
woollen
adjective B1
woolly
adjective
Related words
woolen
adjective
Advanced or less common
woolliness
noun
Expressions
dyed-in-the-wool
1/dˈaɪd ˈɪn ðə wˈʊl/
idiom
having fixed, long-held beliefs
Having very strong ideas or beliefs that do not change.
Exemples
- She’s a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist who has been campaigning since her teens.
- Despite the new evidence, the dyed-in-the-wool supporters refused to change their views.
pull the wool over [someone]'s eyes
1/pˈʊl ðə wˈʊl ˈoʊvɚ sˈoʊmˈoʊnz ˈaɪz/
idiom
to trick or deceive someone
To trick someone so that they do not see or understand the truth.
Exemples
- He tried to pull the wool over the inspector’s eyes, but she quickly found the errors.
- The company pulled the wool over customers’ eyes by hiding the extra fees.
wool-gathering
1/wˈʊl ɡˈæðɚɪŋ/
idiom
literary
daydreaming and not focused
Thinking about nothing important and not paying attention to what is happening around you.
Exemples
- Stop your wool-gathering and listen to what I’m saying.
- He seemed to be wool-gathering during the entire meeting.
wrap [someone] in cotton wool
1/ɹˈæp sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪn kˈɑtən wˈʊl/
idiom
informal
to overprotect someone
To protect someone too much so that they never face problems or risks.
Exemples
- She worries that her parents wrapped her in cotton wool when she was a child.
- You can’t wrap your kids in cotton wool forever; they need to learn from experience.