What does touchwood mean?
Touchwood is a piece of wood associated with protective or curative powers. In the best-known use, people touch wood to ward off bad luck, often after making a hopeful or boastful statement. This practice is usually lighthearted, but it also reflects older traditions in which particular pieces of wood were believed to have magical properties. Touchwood was also traditionally used as a remedy, especially by rubbing it on a wart. The word can therefore refer both to the physical object and, more figuratively, to the ritual of touching such an object. While the expression is widely recognized in British English and is also understood in American English, the one-word noun is relatively uncommon in everyday modern use. Touchwood is interesting because it preserves both a practical folk remedy and a familiar superstition involving luck, ritual, and an ordinary piece of wood.
nounA piece of wood believed to have supernatural or curative powers, traditionally touched, struck, or rubbed to ward off bad luck or treat a wart.
- A piece of wood believed to possess supernatural or curative properties, especially wood that is touched or struck to ward off bad luck.
- Wood traditionally used to rub or touch a wart as a folk remedy.
"He kept a piece of touchwood beside the hearth, touching it whenever he wanted to protect the family from misfortune."
"The superstitious player touched wood after claiming that his team would certainly win."
"The old remedy involved rubbing the wart with touchwood in the hope that it would disappear."
Rare; touchwood is usually treated as a mass noun.
"The collection includes touchwoods from several traditional healing practices."
Touchwood turns a simple piece of wood into a tiny ritual of good luck: touch it and superstition says misfortune cannot reach you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does touchwood come from?
Touchwood is an English compound formed from touch and wood. It dates from the early 17th century, when wood touched or struck during a ritual was believed to have protective powers. Its development reflects the older custom of touching a piece of wood to avert misfortune, later familiarized by the expression touch wood.
How touchwood is actually used
The one-word noun is less common than the expression used as a good-luck ritual. Its connotations range from playful superstition to traditional folk medicine, and it is especially associated with British English.