woodcut

noun

wood·​cut ˈwu̇d-ˌkət How to pronounce woodcut (audio)
1
: a relief printing surface consisting of a wooden block with a usually pictorial design cut with the grain
2
: a print from a woodcut

Examples of woodcut in a Sentence

a collection of fine woodcuts
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The exhibition features new blue horse paintings, portraits, woodcut prints, drawings and bronze sculptures. — Alyson Rodriguez, Dallas Morning News, 20 Feb. 2026 By this time, Eichenberg viewed his own art as an articulation of social conscience, an expression of common feeling revealed through the woodcut reduction. — Jessica George, JSTOR Daily, 27 May 2026 Hundreds of true-crime pamphlets circulated, adorned with woodcuts depicting horrific acts of dismemberment, torture, and witchcraft. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 June 2026 The exhibition will feature woodcut prints by this Bay Area artist which is influenced by the traditional Japanese style of master woodblock print artists Hokusai and Hiroshige. — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for woodcut

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of woodcut was in 1662

Rhymes for woodcut

See All Rhymes for woodcut

Browse Nearby Words

woodcreeper
woodcut
woodcutter
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Cite this Entry

“Woodcut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woodcut. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

woodcut

noun
wood·​cut -ˌkət How to pronounce woodcut (audio)
1
: a printing surface having a raised design carved from a block of wood
2
: a print from a woodcut

More from Merriam-Webster on woodcut

Nglish: Translation of woodcut for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about woodcut

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