Meaning & use
hardwoods
Last updated
“hardwoods” is a form of “hardwood”.
Meanings
nouncountable
types of strong, dense wood that come from broad-leaved trees such as oak, maple, or mahogany.
Grammar: Countable when talking about different kinds: several hardwoods. Also used as an uncountable material noun in the singular: made of hardwood.
Patterns
- hardwoods such as ...
- a variety of hardwoods
- made from hardwoods
The furniture maker prefers hardwoods like oak and walnut for their strength.
These hardwoods grow slowly, which makes them expensive to harvest.
The floor was made from imported hardwoods.
nouncountable
trees that produce dense wood and have broad leaves rather than needles.
Grammar: Usually plural when referring to several trees or species: the forest is full of hardwoods. The singular hardwood can also be used as a modifier: hardwood trees.
Patterns
- hardwoods and softwoods
- native hardwoods
- plant hardwoods
The forest is a mix of hardwoods and softwoods.
Local hardwoods provide food and shelter for many animals.
Farmers were encouraged to plant hardwoods along the river.
Word forms
| singular | hardwood |
|---|
Common combinations
- hardwoods such as oak
- The workshop uses hardwoods such as oak and maple.
- a variety of hardwoods
- The store sells a variety of hardwoods for woodworking.
- tropical hardwoods
- Tropical hardwoods are often darker and more expensive.
- hardwoods and softwoods
- Builders distinguish between hardwoods and softwoods by the tree type.
- native hardwoods
- The park is restoring native hardwoods after the fire.
- made of hardwoods
- The table is made of hardwoods that have been carefully polished.
Synonyms and how they differ
- timber
- Timber is a general word for wood used in building, and can include softwoods; hardwoods specifically refers to dense wood from broad-leaved trees.
- wood
- Wood is the general material; hardwoods is a more specific term for certain types of strong, dense wood.
Opposites
Word family
- hardwood noun
- The singular form, meaning one type of dense wood or a tree that produces it.
- hardwood adjective
- Used before a noun to describe something made of or related to this wood, as in hardwood floor.
Commonly confused: hardwoods or softwoods?
hardwoods vs softwoods
Softwoods come from cone-bearing trees like pine and are usually less dense; hardwoods come from broad-leaved trees like oak. The terms describe tree type, not always actual hardness.
Practice
Oak and maple are examples of ______.
Choose one answer.
Oak and maple are broad-leaved trees that produce dense wood, so they are hardwoods. Softwoods come from cone-bearing trees like pine; hardware means equipment, and hardwires is a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hardwoods”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.