hardwood
hardwood Lexical Profile
hardwood Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Consisting of, made from, or dominated by the timber of broad-leaved flowering trees.
"They decided to remove the old carpet and refinish the original hardwood floors underneath."
• noun
The dense, heavy timber obtained from broad-leaved flowering trees (angiosperms) such as oak, maple, mahogany, or walnut, prized for fine furniture, cabinetry, and flooring.
"The carpenter selected a seasoned piece of oak hardwood to build the dining room table."
Any broad-leaved deciduous or evergreen flowering tree (division Magnoliophyta) that produces seeds enclosed within an ovary, in contrast to needle-bearing coniferous trees.
"The autumn forest was a vibrant canopy of maples, birches, and other native hardwoods."
American A wooden indoor basketball court (usually used with "the").
"The star point guard returned to the hardwood last night after missing three weeks with an ankle injury."
Word Nuance & Usage
In botany and forestry, "hardwood" refers strictly to wood from broad-leaved flowering trees (angiosperms) rather than actual physical hardness; for example, balsa is classified as a hardwood despite being softer than most coniferous softwoods.