Dictionary

softwood en · NOUN

Etymology

From soft + wood. The term refers to the seed coat, or absence thereof, of the tree's seeds; it does not refer to the degree of softness or hardness of the tree's wood, but it seems to do so and is usually assumed to do so by speakers not well informed about trees and timber.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The wood from any gymnosperm, without regard to its softness.
   • The bodies are sheeted in softwood, a double layer of ⅝-in. boards on the quarters, with a single thickness lining inside the steel ends. 1952 January, “British Railways Standard Wagons”, in Railway Magazine, page 61:
2. (countable, in more general use) Wood of this kind, but limited to those that are commercial timbers.
3. (countable) The tree or tree species that yields this wood.
   • SYP is a softwood, but it is harder than many hardwoods.
   • This softwood has been planted extensively throughout Scotland.
4. (uncountable) Any commercial timber.
   • You should have used softwood for the frame of this shed, instead of overbuilding it like this.

Forms

Coordinates

hardwood · hardwood · hardwood

Relateds

lumber · camp wood

Translations (18)

fi puu (commercial timber in general) · ga adhmad bog (commercial timber from a gymnosperm) · tl banakal (wood from a gymnosperm) · ga bogadhmad (wood from a gymnosperm) · ga bogadhmad (commercial timber from a gymnosperm) · fi havupuu (wood from a gymnosperm) · de Holz (commercial timber in general) · mi rākau mohe (wood from a gymnosperm) · fi havupuu (commercial timber from a gymnosperm) · de Nadelholz (commercial timber from a gymnosperm) · fi sahatavara (commercial timber in general) · de Bauholz (commercial timber in general) · de Nadelholz (tree that yields the timber) · de Nadelholz (wood from a gymnosperm) · ga adhmad bog (wood from a gymnosperm) · de Nadelgewächs (tree that yields the timber) · de Nadelholzgewächs (tree that yields the timber) · fi havupuu (tree that yields the timber)