driftwood

noun

drift·​wood ˈdrift-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce driftwood (audio)
1
: wood drifted or floated by water
2

Examples of driftwood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But inside her mind, surreal and vivid images intrude on her thoughts — her body hanging like a rag doll from the hook of a crane, lying on a forest floor covered in insects, twisted among driftwood on a beach. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024 Ruby-red sea stars were plastered on the rocks, and hermit crabs scampered across driftwood. Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 The driftwood was cut into three pieces, each with a similar number of barnacles, and the fragments were placed in three separate aquariums. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2023 Shop it in charcoal, white, driftwood, light gray, and navy hues. Lauren Taylor, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024 Designed by Colombian architect Andres Lopera, the light and airy boutique is brimming with driftwood, coral branches, fishing nets, anchors and a cozy white couch. Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Maryland State Parks said that a piece of unassuming driftwood is believed to be part of a 19th Century ship. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2024 After working in construction, Mr. Killion began creating furniture using driftwood from the Hudson River. Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2023 The time stamp on that image after the wolf crossed the driftwood along the edge of the woods was 10:20 a.m. To Paquette’s surprise, the wolf approached him. Outdoor Life, 26 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'driftwood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of driftwood was in 1633

Dictionary Entries Near driftwood

Cite this Entry

“Driftwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/driftwood. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

driftwood

noun
drift·​wood ˈdrift-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce driftwood (audio)
: wood drifted or floated by water

More from Merriam-Webster on driftwood

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!