wool

/wʊl/

/wʊl/

Other forms: wools

Wool is a fiber that comes from a sheep's or goat's hair and is used for knitting sweaters and weaving blankets. Better put on your wool hat and scarf — it's freezing out there!

Most wool comes from the fleece of sheep, although extra soft specialty wool (like cashmere and angora) comes from goats. In order to process wool so that it can be used to make clothing, rugs, and blankets, sheep must first be shorn. Once their fleece is cut off, it's washed and spun into yarn. If someone "pulls the wool over your eyes," they successfully fool or trick you.

Definitions of wool

1. noun

   outer coat of especially sheep and yaks
   synonyms: fleece

   type of:

   coat, pelage

   growth of hair or wool or fur covering the body of an animal
2. noun

   fiber sheared from animals (such as sheep) and twisted into yarn for weaving
   types:

   Shetland wool

   a wool obtained from sheep of the Shetland islands

   raw wool

   wool in its natural condition; not refined or processed

   alpaca

   wool of the alpaca

   cashmere

   the wool of the Cashmere goat

   fleece

   the wool of a sheep or similar animal

   shoddy

   reclaimed wool fiber

   vicuna

   the wool of the vicuna

   virgin wool

   wool not used before; wool not processed or woven before

   type of:

   animal fiber, animal fibre

   fiber derived from animals
3. noun

   a fabric made from the hair of sheep
   synonyms: woolen, woollen

   type of:

   cloth, fabric, material, textile

   artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers