plywood
UK[ˈplaɪwʊd]US[ˈplaɪwʊd]
n
a strong board made by gluing thin layers of wood together with the direction of the grain alternating.
Morpheme Breakdown
ply
wood
ply
layer
wood
material
Etymology
the word 'plywood' is a modern compound, first recorded in the early 20th century. its first element, 'ply', traces back to the latin verb plicāre, meaning "to fold", which evolved through old french into english with senses related to layers, folds, or strands. the second element, 'wood', comes from the old english wudu, referring to the material from trees. the compound logically describes the manufacturing process: thin layers (plies) of wood are glued together with their grains perpendicular to create a strong, stable sheet. thus, the term's literal meaning, "layered wood", directly and transparently reflects the material's composition.
Analysis
Structure: ply (layer) + wood (material)
ply: from middle english plien, meaning "to fold, bend", from old french plier, from latin plicāre "to fold". in this word, it functions as a root meaning "layer" or "fold".
wood: from old english wudu "tree, wood, forest". in this word, it functions as a root specifying the material.
Examples
the bookshelf was made from sturdy plywood.
they used plywood to board up the windows before the storm.
the lightweight plywood made it easy to construct the stage set.