knotty wood; knotty tree
Refers to wood or a tree with many knots or gnarls. Often used in contexts like woodworking or describing the character of a tree.
This desk is made of knotty pine wood.
Timber with many knots is difficult to work with.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji are obscure.
Compound of 節 (ふし, 'knot') and 榑 (くれ, 'timber' or 'board'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally describes knotty wood.