plywood
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of plywood
Explanation
Plywood is a building material that's made from layers of wood that are glued together. This construction means that plywood is very strong and resistant to chipping or warping. There are many kinds of plywood, and even more ways to use it. Plywood made from soft woods is used for sub-flooring in new homes and packaging of various kinds. Harder plywood can be made into furniture, walls, cabinets, stereo speakers, and sports equipment. The layers (or plies) in a piece of plywood are glued together with the grain direction alternating, which makes it sturdy even when it's thin.
Vocabulary lists containing plywood
Structural Engineering
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Engineering - Middle School
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Engineering - High School
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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.
Wan Hon-cheung, 64, has been living in a plywood box about the size of a single bed for the last 10 years, and hopes the government will improve conditions for residents like him as well.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
For instance, many set design buildings are made from laser-cut plywood.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
And while Boise didn’t make or import the plywood, prosecutors maintain the company must have known it had been smuggled into the U.S. given how cheap Horizon was selling it compared with competitors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
After Molina’s landlord installed a plywood base, Bolding started on the mural several days later.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
The lower windows were all boarded up on either side of the hallway, done professionally with sheets of reinforced plywood, backed with crossed two-by-fours.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
