hardwood

A type of fairly hard wood, such as oak, used for making furniture or buildings.

• Oak is a popular hardwood.
• The cabinet is made from a local hardwood.
• Different hardwoods vary in colour and strength.

Opposites: softwood

Common phrases: durable hardwood, oak hardwood, hardwood furniture, solid hardwood

Wood from broad-leaved flowering trees, whether the wood itself is hard or soft.

• Balsa is a lightweight hardwood.
• Not every hardwood is physically hard.
• The book classifies these woods as hardwoods because of the trees they come from.

Opposites: softwood

Common phrases: tropical hardwood, soft hardwood, hardwood species

A broad-leaved tree that produces wood used as timber.

• A tall hardwood shaded the house.
• They planted hardwoods along the hillside.
• This forest contains both hardwoods and evergreen conifers.

Similar words: broadleaf tree

Common phrases: plant a hardwood, native hardwood, mature hardwood

Made from hard wooden boards fitted together, especially to cover a floor.

• The room has a hardwood floor.
• They installed hardwood flooring throughout the house.
• Her shoes clicked on the polished hardwood surface.

Common phrases: hardwood floor, hardwood flooring, polished hardwood floor