wood family
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Empty seats at a theater, circus, etc., corresponding to tickets that the venue failed to sell.
Register: humorous, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
In spite of their efforts to avoid it, members of the "Wood Family" were constantly in evidence. In the slang of the circus, the phrase simply meant empty seats.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “wood family” mean?
Empty seats at a theater, circus, etc., corresponding to tickets that the venue failed to sell.
Is “wood family” formal or informal?
wood family is generally humorous, slang.