plywood

American  

[plahy-wood] / ˈplaɪˌwʊd /

noun

plywoods plural

1. 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.

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plywood British  

/ ˈplaɪˌwʊd /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• plywoods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of plywood

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

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.

Example Sentences

Its walls, made in a Tijuana factory, consist of plywood panels insulated with foam.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

Pinky Cubacub, 55, said she bought $500 worth of plywood at a lumber store for her eatery on Guam.

From Barron's • Jul. 5, 2026

Just months after a previous major storm, cars queued at petrol stations, while residents thronged hardware stores to buy plywood and supermarkets for food, bottled water and other essentials.

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

For instance, many set design buildings are made from laser-cut plywood.

From BBC • May 11, 2026

Go to sea in a ten-foot plywood skiff without a thought in my head but catch-a-big-fish.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick