Fyrewoode

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Wood cut and dried for burning in a fire, used for heating a home or cooking food
2. Logs and branches gathered to be set alight in a hearth, stove, or open fire for warmth
3. Timber prepared as fuel, especially the kind kept stacked beside a fireplace for kindling

Etymology: Before the modern spelling settled, English writers spelled this compound in many ways, and "fyrewoode" is one of the Middle English forms. It is a plain compound of "fire" and "wood," both native words that go back to Old English, where "fyr" meant fire and "wudu" meant trees or woodland. The sense of "wood" as cut timber for burning developed from the older idea of a stand of trees. Modern English keeps the same two parts in the same order, but the spelling changed. Scribes in the late medieval period often wrote "y" for the Old English letter "ȳ" and added a final "e" to many words, which is why this form looks so unfamiliar. The meaning is unchanged: wood gathered to be burned.