woodshed
/ˈwʊdˌʃɛd/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.19 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To self-isolate in order to work on one's artistic development or to produce work without interruptions.
Example Sentences
- "The State Department is incensed, and if this conference fails it will be the woodshed for three Central American presidents."
- "Were you ever taken to the woodshed? Did anyone say, “Stop disagreeing with the president”?"
- "Recently, I have taken up the double bass again, but because time and neglect erode ability, calluses turn soft, and muscle memory fades, I need to woodshed (practice) to get back into shape and build up my chops."
- "In previous chapters, I've covered many ways to woodshed a script and dozens of techniques for bringing the words to life. Now, I'm going to suggest something completely different: Try performing your script completely cold the first time through."
- "His latest novel sheds light on an émigré writer’s woodshedding period."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈwʊdˌʃɛd/