WOODSHAVING Meaning and
Definition
-
A woodshaving refers to a small, thin strip or piece of wood that has been sliced or shaved from a larger wooden object using a sharp tool or machine. It is commonly produced during woodworking activities, such as carving, sawing, or sanding, where excess wood needs to be removed to achieve the desired shape or finish. Woodshavings vary in length, width, and thickness, depending on the specific woodworking technique employed.
Typically, woodshavings are obtained using hand tools like chisels or planes, or power tools such as planers or sanders. They are mainly used for practical purposes, including filling gaps or voids in wood joinery, or serving as mulch for gardening and animal bedding. In woodworking, woodshavings can also be used to create texture or decorative effects on furniture surfaces or other wooden artifacts.
Woodshavings come in various forms, from the fine dust-like particles generated by sanding to longer and coarser strips produced through planing. They can be made from different types of wood, including softwoods like pine or hardwoods like oak, each having distinct characteristics and applications.
Although often considered a byproduct or waste material, woodshavings have found alternative uses in various industries beyond woodworking. For instance, they are utilized as raw material in the production of composite boards like particleboard or used as fuel in biomass power plants due to their potential high calorific value.
Etymology of WOODSHAVING
The word "woodshaving" is derived from two root words: "wood" and "shaving".
The word "wood" can be traced back to the Old English word "wudu", which eventually evolved into "wood" in Middle English. It originally referred to both the substance of a tree and a specific area covered in trees.
The term "shaving" comes from the Old English word "sceafan", meaning "to scrape" or "to shave off". It has roots in the Proto-Germanic word "skabanan" and the Proto-Indo-European word "skep-", both of which carry the same meaning.
Combining these two words, "woodshaving" refers to the act of scraping or shaving off thin pieces or slices from wood. The word is used to describe the result of this action, commonly seen in woodworking or carpentry.
