Meaning & use
the veneer
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
A thin layer of high-quality wood or other material glued onto a cheaper surface.
Grammar: Can be countable (a veneer) or uncountable (made of veneer). Often used with 'of': a veneer of oak.
Patterns
- a veneer of something
- made of veneer
- apply a veneer
The table looks like solid oak, but it's only a veneer.
They used a walnut veneer to cover the cheap plywood.
The veneer on the cabinet is peeling off.
nounsingularfigurative
A false or superficial appearance that hides someone's true feelings or character.
Grammar: Usually singular with 'of': a veneer of calm. Often used in the phrase 'a veneer of ...'.
Patterns
- a veneer of something
- beneath the veneer
- maintain a veneer
Beneath his veneer of confidence, he was extremely nervous.
The company's veneer of respectability quickly disappeared when the scandal broke.
She maintained a veneer of politeness even though she was furious.
Word forms
| plural | veneers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a veneer of respectability
- The gang hid behind a veneer of respectability.
- beneath the veneer
- Beneath the veneer of calm, she was panicking.
- wood veneer
- The doors are finished with a wood veneer.
- maintain a veneer
- He tried to maintain a veneer of indifference.
Synonyms and how they differ
- facade
- A false appearance or front; often used for buildings or people, while veneer emphasizes a thin covering layer.
- surface
- The outer or top layer; veneer is more specific and often implies a decorative or deceptive covering.
- gloss
- A shiny surface or a superficially attractive appearance; veneer suggests a thin layer hiding something less attractive.
Word family
- veneered adjective
- Covered with a thin layer of wood or other material.
Commonly confused: the veneer or veneer?
the veneer vs veneer
Not to be confused with 'venire' (a legal term) or 'veneer' as a dental term for a thin tooth covering.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'veneer' correctly in a figurative sense:
Choose one answer.
In the figurative sense, veneer means a false appearance hiding true feelings. Option 0 uses it correctly. The other options misuse the word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the veneer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.