# plywood

/ˈpɫaɪˌwʊd/ (US) · /plˈaɪwʊd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/plywood
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

a strong board made by gluing several thin layers of wood together. It is very common in building and making furniture because it does not break or bend easily.

For teachers: a structural material manufactured from thin layers or 'plies' of wood veneer glued together with adjacent layers having their wood grain rotated up to 90 degrees to one another.

## Examples

- He used a sheet of plywood to fix the floor.
- The construction crew boarded up the broken windows with thick plywood to protect the shop from the storm.
- Engineers often specify marine-grade plywood for boat hulls because the cross-grained layers provide exceptional dimensional stability and resistance to splitting under high moisture conditions.

## Usage notes

- Usually uncountable when referring to the material; can be countable when referring to specific sheets or types ('a piece of plywood', 'various plywoods').

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.