plywood

noun

ply·​wood ˈplī-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce plywood (audio)
: a structural material consisting of sheets of wood glued or cemented together with the grains of adjacent layers arranged at right angles or at a wide angle

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This Saturday, on Juneteenth, the colorful plywood that once symbolized a closed community will go on display at Chicago's DuSable Museum of African American history. CBS News, 17 June 2021 Here, two pieces of plywood and a short length of 2 x 4 get screwed together and clamped to a handtruck. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 6 Feb. 2023 The compound, built haphazardly of plywood, caught fire. Barton Swaim, WSJ, 27 Jan. 2023 The tailgate can be positioned midway to support 4x8 sheets of plywood — 400 pounds’ worth. Dallas News, 21 Jan. 2023 To keep the building’s youngest residents busy, there’s a rock wall and an abstract whale body made of plywood to climb on. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2023 First, rip the 8-foot-long piece of plywood to 14 inches wide. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 5 Jan. 2023 The laser cutter to his right whirs to life, slicing the blossom design on slivers of plywood. Yusra Farzan, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2022 One or two nights later a dissatisfied patron started whacking at the plate glass storefront with a hunk of plywood. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plywood.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plywood was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near plywood

Cite this Entry

“Plywood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plywood. Accessed 23 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

plywood

noun
ply·​wood ˈplī-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce plywood (audio)
: a strong board made by gluing thin sheets of wood together under heat and pressure

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