woodness

English

Etymology

From Middle English woodnesse, wodnesse, from Old English wōdnes, corresponding to wood (“mad, insane”) +‎ -ness.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

woodness (uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Madness, fury.
   • 1567, Ovid, “The Fyft Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC:

     […] This sodaine chaunge from feasting vnto fray
     Might well be likened to the Sea: whych standing at a stay
     The woodnesse of the windes makes rough by raising of the waue.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 567:

     […] with fell woodnes he effierced was,
     And wilfully him throwing on the gras
     Did beat and bounse his head and brest ful sore […] .