Also 8 fanneer, vaneer, venear, 9 vineer. [ad. G. furni(e)r, fourni(e)r, † fornier in the same sense: see next and VENEERING vbl. sb. The loss of r in the unstressed first syllable also appears in Da. finer, Sw. fanér, Russ. фаниръ.]
1. One of the thin slices or slips of fine or fancy wood, or other suitable material, used in veneering.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3806/8. A Large Parcel of French Walnutt-Tree Venears will be exposed to Sale … on Thursday.
1806. Ann. Reg. (1808), 960/2. A new mode of cutting veneers, or thin boards.
1823. Macclesfield Courier, in O. W. Roberts, Voy. Centr. Amer. (1827), 302. The largest and finest log of mahogany ever imported into this country … sawn into vineers.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., § x. 372. Put in as many veneers as the liquor will cover.
2. Material prepared for use in veneering, or applied to a surface by this or some similar process.
1750. W. Ellis, Mod. Husb., VII. II. 43. This [ash] wood and walnut-tree … makes the best of fanneer.
1778. W. Pain, Carpenter’s Repository, Pl. 56. A circular Plan … representing the Vaneer and Backing for the Stiles.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 586. By gluing several thicknesses of veneer upon each other.
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., Ser. IV. 212. The cabinet-maker buys the veneer in this rough state. Ibid. He cuts a piece of veneer.
1886. W. J. Tucker, E. Europe, 319. One of the legs [of the chair was] broken and the grand veneer knocked off the back.
b. In veneer, in thin plates or slips.
1855. Singleton, Virgil, I. 333. Presents, ponderous with gold And ivory in vencer, commands he to be borne Unto the ships.
3. fig. A merely outward show or appearance of some good quality. (Cf. VARNISH sb.1 4.)
1868. Holme Lee, B. Godfrey, xxxii. A veneer of useful knowledge.
1874. Farrar, Christ, I. iv. 44. A savage barbarian with a thin veneer of corrupt and superficial civilisation.
1882. W. Ballantine, Exper., xv. 148. [The] heartfelt courtesy … was replaced by a superficial veneer of forced politeness.
b. Without article.
1871. Daily News, 7 Dec. A gentleman with some polish—I was almost tempted to say with some veneer.
1883. Harper’s Mag., July, 165/2. These days of veneer and affectation in buildings and nomenclature.
4. One or other of many species of moths of the genus Crambus or family Crambidæ; a grass-moth.
1819. Samouelle, Entomol. Compend., 386. Crambus sanguinea. The buff-edged rosy Veneer. Ibid., 403. C. arborum. The yellow satin Veneer.
1832. Rennie, Consp. Moths, 215–9.
5. attrib. and Comb., as veneer-cutter, -making, merchant, -mill, -room, saw, wood.
Also veneer-press, and veneer-bending, -cutting, -planing, -polishing, -straightening machine (1875 Knight, Dict. Mech., 2699–2702).
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., IV. 148. The ‘veneer-rooms’ at such [pianoforte] factories are places of importance.
1852. Jerdan, Autobiog., II. xiv. 181. He … purchased all the veneer wood which he could obtain.
1854. Tomlinson’s Cycl. Usef. Arts (1867), II. 798/1. In all veneer saws the edge must run very true. Ibid. In saw-mills where veneers are cut, the arrangement of the segment saw is called a veneer-mill.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Veneer-cutter, one who saws furniture wood into thin lengths, by steam-power machinery.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 138/2. These methods of veneer-making.
1894. Daily News, 8 June, 8/4. Witnesses … who deposed to knowing prisoner in the characters of a veneer merchant, a tankard maker, and an inventor.
