veneer: Meaning and Definition of

ve•neer

Pronunciation: (vu-nēr'), [key]
— n.
  1. a thin layer of wood or other material for facing or inlaying wood.
  2. any of the thin layers of wood glued together to form plywood.
  3. a 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. to overlay or face (wood) with thin sheets of some material, as a fine wood, ivory, or tortoise shell.
  2. to 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. to cement (layers of wood veneer) to form plywood.
  4. to give a superficially valuable or pleasing appearance to.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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