plywood

American

[plahy-wood] / ˈplaɪˌwʊd /

noun

a material used for various building purposes, consisting usually of an odd number of layers of wood veneer glued over each other, such that the wood grain of each layer is perpendicular to the layers surrounding it.

plywood British

/ ˈplaɪˌwʊd /

noun

a structural board consisting of an odd number of thin layers of wood glued together under pressure, with the grain of one layer at right angles to the grain of the adjoining layer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of plywood

First recorded in 1905–10; ply ² + wood ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The combined real estate investment trust has a half dozen sawmills and a big plywood facility, and intends to keep the dividend in line with Rayonier’s recent payout, suggesting a yield of 5% or so.

From Barron's

Locals now rely on a makeshift raft made from plastic barrels and plywood to cross the river.

From Barron's

First impressions had me doubting my decision: Unfinished plywood lined the cramped elevator and my room—a snug, white space-age capsule—looked like it had emerged from a 3-D printer.

From The Wall Street Journal

The exterior walls of the old, square cabin were unpainted plywood, and the part of the flat, slanted roof that was still standing was covered with black tar paper.

From Literature

A plywood arch bearing the words “Caius Caesar: Preparing For Triumph” had been fastened to the door; the kids were getting ready for the annual Roman pageant.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023