From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Wool \Wool\ (w[oo^]l), n. [OE. wolle, wulle, AS. wull; akin to
D. wol, OHG. wolla, G. wolle, Icel. & Sw. ull, Dan. uld,
Goth, wulla, Lith. vilna, Russ. volna, L. vellus, Skr.
[=u]r[.n][=a] wool, v[.r] to cover. [root]146, 287. Cf.
{Flannel}, {Velvet}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. The soft and curled, or crisped, species of hair which
grows on sheep and some other animals, and which in
fineness sometimes approaches to fur; -- chiefly applied
to the fleecy coat of the sheep, which constitutes a most
essential material of clothing in all cold and temperate
climates.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Wool consists essentially of keratin.
[1913 Webster]
2. Short, thick hair, especially when crisped or curled.
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Wool of bat and tongue of dog. --Shak.
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3. (Bot.) A sort of pubescence, or a clothing of dense,
curling hairs on the surface of certain plants.
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{Dead pulled wool}, wool pulled from a carcass.
{Mineral wool}. See under {Mineral}.
{Philosopher's wool}. (Chem.) See {Zinc oxide}, under {Zinc}.
{Pulled wool}, wool pulled from a pelt, or undressed hide.
{Slag wool}. Same as {Mineral wool}, under {Mineral}.
{Wool ball}, a ball or mass of wool.
{Wool burler}, one who removes little burs, knots, or
extraneous matter, from wool, or the surface of woolen
cloth.
{Wool comber}.
(a) One whose occupation is to comb wool.
(b) A machine for combing wool.
{Wool grass} (Bot.), a kind of bulrush ({Scirpus Eriophorum})
with numerous clustered woolly spikes.
{Wool scribbler}. See {Woolen scribbler}, under {Woolen}, a.
{Wool sorter's disease} (Med.), a disease, resembling
malignant pustule, occurring among those who handle the
wool of goats and sheep.
{Wool staple}, a city or town where wool used to be brought
to the king's staple for sale. [Eng.]
{Wool stapler}.
(a) One who deals in wool.
(b) One who sorts wool according to its staple, or its
adaptation to different manufacturing purposes.
{Wool winder}, a person employed to wind, or make up, wool
into bundles to be packed for sale.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
wool
n 1: a fabric made from the hair of sheep [syn: {wool},
{woolen}, {woollen}]
2: fiber sheared from animals (such as sheep) and twisted into
yarn for weaving
3: outer coat of especially sheep and yaks [syn: {wool},
{fleece}]
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