veneer

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/vɪˈnɪər/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/vəˈnɪr/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(və nēr′)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ve•neer /vəˈnɪr/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. Building, Furniture[uncountable] a thin layer of wood or other material for covering a surface of wood.
  2. an apparently good or pleasing appearance:[countable* usually singular]a veneer of respectability.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ve•neer  (və nēr′),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Building, Furniturea thin layer of wood or other material for facing or inlaying wood.
  2. Building, Furnitureany of the thin layers of wood glued together to form plywood.
  3. Buildinga facing of a certain material applied to a different one or to a type of construction not ordinarily associated with it, as a facing of brick applied to a frame house.
  4. a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance:a cruel person with a veneer of kindliness.

v.t. 
  1. Furnitureto overlay or face (wood) with thin sheets of some material, as a fine wood, ivory, or tortoise shell.
  2. Buildingto face or cover (an object) with any material that is more desirable as a surface material than the basic material of the object;
    revet.
  3. Building, Furnitureto cement (layers of wood veneer) to form plywood.
  4. to give a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance to.
  • French fournir) + -ung -ing1
  • German Fourni(e)rung, Furni(e)rung, equivalent. to furni(e)ren to furnish (
  • earlier fineering, faneering 1695–1705
ve•neer′er, n. 
    4. façade, front, show, mask, guise.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
veneer /vɪˈnɪə/ n
  1. a thin layer of wood, plastic, etc, with a decorative or fine finish that is bonded to the surface of a less expensive material, usually wood
  2. a superficial appearance, esp one that is pleasing: a veneer of gentility
  3. any facing material that is applied to a different backing material
  4. any one of the layers of wood that is used to form plywood
 vb (transitive)
  1. to cover (a surface) with a veneer
  2. to bond together (thin layers of wood) to make plywood
  3. to conceal (something) under a superficially pleasant surface
Etymology: 17th Century: from German furnieren to veneer, from Old French fournir to furnishveˈneerer n
'veneer' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
ashlar - blockboard - check - gaboon - Queen-Anne - scaleboard - tulipwood - varnish - veneering - basket - burl - caul - coating - core - cuff - face - feather banding - feathered - fiddle back - flitch - join - metal wood - ply - veneer patch - senwood
Collocations: has a veneer [interior, dash, finish], a veneer [bookcase, table], veneer a [table, door, panel, surface], more...

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