hardwood

Meanings

Noun

• The wood from any dicotyledonous tree, without regard to its hardness.
• (in more general use) As the preceding but limited to those that are commercial timbers, and are at least average in hardness.
• The tree or tree species that yields the preceding.
• A joint term for the commercial timbers, without distinguishing which.
• The sport of basketball, in particular, an indoor basketball court; so named because the floor of an indoor basketball court is normally made of hardwood.

Adjective

• Of a floor: made of interlocking hardwood boards.

Origin

• hard + wood