come out of woodwork

wood·work

[wood-wurk]
noun
1.
objects or parts made of wood.
2.
the interior wooden fittings, especially of a house, as doors, stairways, or moldings.
3.
come out of the woodwork, Informal. to appear or materialize suddenly and unexpectedly: Since mortgage rates declined, prospective buyers have been coming out of the woodwork.

Origin:
1640–50; wood1 + work

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To come out of woodwork
Collins
World English Dictionary
woodwork (ˈwʊdˌwɜːk) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the art, craft, or skill of making things in wood; carpentry
2.  components made of wood, such as doors, staircases, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Come out of woodwork is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
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