fiberboard
UK[ˈfaɪbəbɔːd]US[ˈfaɪbərbɔːrd]
n
a building material made of wood or other plant fibers compressed into stiff sheets.
Morpheme Breakdown
fiber
board
fiber
board
Etymology
the word 'fiberboard' is a modern compound formed from two english words of distinct origins. 'fiber' traces back to latin fibra, which referred to a filament or thread, and by extension, the structural strands found in plants and other materials. 'board' originates from old english bord, meaning a plank or flat piece of wood. the compound logically describes a manufactured board or panel composed of compressed fibrous materials, primarily wood fibers. this term emerged in the 20th century to name an engineered wood product that utilizes fibrous components to create a versatile building material.
Analysis
Structure: fiber + board
fiber: from latin fibra 'filament, entrails'; denotes a thread-like strand or filament.
board: from old english bord 'plank, flat surface'; denotes a flat, rigid piece of material.
Examples
the interior walls were constructed using inexpensive fiberboard.
this type of fiberboard is often used as a substrate for countertops.
they recycled old newspapers to produce a form of fiberboard.