Covered with or made of wool; having a thick, soft, fluffy texture; can also mean confused or unclear in thinking.
From Old English 'wullig' derived from 'wull' meaning 'wool,' the adjective directly describes something that has wool-like properties. The metaphorical 'woolly thinking' came from the foggy, unclear nature of tangled wool.
Wool is actually a thermally complex material—it can absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture yet still feel dry, which is why it was essential for human survival in cold climates before synthetic fabrics.
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