softwood

[ sawft-woo d, soft- ]
/ ˈsɔftˌwʊd, ˈsɒft- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR softwood ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any wood that is relatively soft or easily cut.
a tree yielding such a wood.
Forestry. a coniferous tree or its wood.

adjective

of, relating to, or made of softwood.

Origin of softwood

First recorded in 1825–35; soft + wood1

Words nearby softwood

softness, softs, software, software house, software platform, softwood, softy, sogat, sogdian, sogdiana, soggy

Words related to softwood

sapling, shrub, wood, forest, timber, seedling, woods, pulp, stock, hardwood, topiary

Example sentences from the Web for softwood

British Dictionary definitions for softwood

softwood
/ (ˈsɒftˌwʊd) /

noun

the open-grained wood of any of numerous coniferous trees, such as pine and cedar, as distinguished from that of a dicotyledonous tree
any tree yielding this wood
Compare hardwood

Scientific definitions for softwood

softwood
[ sôft′wud′ ]

A coniferous tree, especially as distinguished from an angiosperm, or hardwood, tree.
The wood of a coniferous tree. Softwoods are in general softer than hardwoods. However, some softwoods, such as yew, are comparatively hard, while some hardwoods, such as basswood, are comparatively soft.