plywood

American  

[plahy-wood] / ˈplaɪˌwʊd /

noun

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.

---

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

---

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

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

From BBC • May 11, 2026

The Quintanas’ shipments were suddenly declared to be coming from other countries, or to be softwood plywood, to which the high tariffs didn’t apply, according to court records.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

OAKDALE, La.—This southwestern Louisiana city of 6,600 is home to a federal prison, a plywood mill and a couple of takeout crawfish joints.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Freshly installed plywood partially concealed some of the damage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

We breathed into bandanas and built shelter from the stench with plywood and a tarp.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline