The story
From wood + wool, due to the softness and appearance of the substance as reminiscent of wool. [Alt: Wood wool packing material]
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
wood wool
Today it means: Fine shavings or fibers of wood, used as a stuffing, insulating or packing material, as a medical dressing, or combined with glue or cement to provide bulk to a building material. Full definition →