veneer

noun ve·neer \ və-ˈnir \

Definition of veneer

1 :a thin sheet of a material: such as

a :a layer of wood of superior value or excellent grain to be glued to an inferior wood

b :any of the thin layers bonded together to form plywood

c :a plastic or porcelain coating bonded to the surface of a cosmetically imperfect tooth

2 :a protective or ornamental facing (as of brick or stone)

3 :a superficial or deceptively attractive appearance, display, or effect :facade, gloss

a veneer of tolerance

See veneer defined for English-language learners

See veneer defined for kids

Examples of veneer in a Sentence

a wall with a stone veneer
a dresser with mahogany veneer

Recent Examples of veneer from the Web

Such integration is likely to be little more than a veneer.

— Washington Post, "Backed by Italy, Libya enlists militias to stop migrants," 29 Aug. 2017
The Vanderpump magic offers the salacious pleasure of a gossip rag with a veneer of decorum.

— allison p. davis, The Cut, "Lisa Vanderpump Is the Royalty America Craves," 23 Aug. 2017
Throughout the conflict, the Assad regime has been at pains to maintain a veneer of normalcy to show it’s still functioning and in control.

— donna abu-nasr, Bloomberg.com, "Syria’s President Assad Declares ‘Victory’—With a Trade Fair," 17 Aug. 2017
Your dentist will ultimately reshape the tooth with composites that are bonded directly to it or with porcelain veneers or crowns, which last longer.

— joanne chen, Redbook, "Teeth: An Owner's Manual," 24 July 2017
But beneath that focused veneer lies the memory that success did not always seem inevitable.

— dan greene, SI.com, "Sydney McLaughlin is first repeat winner of Gatorade Athlete of the Year award," 12 July 2017
That said, Coppola and her players do a good job of slowly (perhaps too slowly) stripping away each character’s veneer.

— robert w. butler, kansascity.com, "Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Beguiled’ has its charms but should have been more beguiling," 29 June 2017
In a separate, later violation, the owner was cited for having added a brick veneer to the lower part of the building along the sidewalk.

— kevin litten, NOLA.com, "Preservationists take aim at New Orleans City Council's record on historic properties," 26 June 2017
There's the cancer with secret, environmental roots, the lies that spouses tell, the encroachments of dementia and the near-absence of any actual civility beneath the veneer of money.

— beth kephart, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Julia Fierro's 'The Gypsy Moth Summer' echoes 'Gatsby'," 26 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of veneer

noun derivative of ²veneer, or borrowed directly from German (17th-century) furner, fornier (modern Furnier), noun derivative of fourniren, furniren "to apply thin strips of wood or other material (to cabinetwork, etc.)" — more at veneering

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1702

See Words from the same year

veneer Synonyms

Synonyms

facade (also façade), gloss, window dressing

Antonyms

inside, interior

Related Words

cotton candy, fluff, tinsel; fig leaf; charade, front, guise, masquerade, pose, semblance, show

Other Architecture Terms

buttress, casita, cornice, fanlight, garret, lintel, parapet, pilaster, plinth

veneer

verb

Definition of veneer

transitive verb

1 :to overlay or plate (a surface, as of a common sort of wood) with a thin layer of finer wood for outer finish or decoration; broadly :to face with a material giving a superior surface

2 :to cover over with a veneer; especially :to conceal (something, such as a defect of character) under a superficial and deceptive attractiveness

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veneerer

noun

See veneer defined for English-language learners

Examples of veneer in a Sentence

The cabinet was veneered in oak.

Recent Examples of veneer from the Web

A stair leads to the spacious main level, with its Brazilian-walnut floors and open red-oak-veneered kitchen bracketed by the living room and dining room, both of which open onto ipe decks.

— aric chen, ELLE Decor, "Building a Life Together," 31 Oct. 2008

Origin and Etymology of veneer

back-formation from veneering

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1742

See Words from the same year

Other Handicraft Terms

biscuit, darn, tambour, wrought

VENEER Defined for English Language Learners

veneer

noun

Definition of veneer for English Language Learners

: a thin layer of wood or other material that is attached to the surface of something in order to make it look better
: a way of behaving or appearing that gives other people a false idea of your true feelings or situation