Forests and Woods

[Cheesefreek]

Does anyone know what the difference between a wood and a forest is?

[Quizmonster]

Size, the latter being the larger of the two. It's much the same as comparing a sea and an ocean...ie the same but different!

[Quizmonster]

When I said 'latter', I meant as presented in the question and not as in the title!

[silly moo]

Some references say that it depends on the type of tree growing there as well.

[Grunty]

According to the Oxford dictionary, the word forest has three meanings.  A large area covered mainly by trees (i.e. larger than a wood), an area which was a forest but is now cultivated, e.g. Sherwood Forest and an area usually owned by the Sovereign, which is kept for hunting and which is subject to Forest Law.  Forest Law was separate from the laws that governed the rest of the country and is worth a study in itself.  An example of a forest with few trees is the Clun Forest in Shropshire.