Crossbanding

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The technique of gluing thin wood veneer with its grain running across the grain of the base panel ; the resulting layer of veneer set at right angles to the main surface
2. Applying wood layers whose grain runs perpendicular to the underlying board in furniture making ; the cross-grained veneer placed in such a finished piece
3. A woodworking method of laminating veneer across the direction of the base wood to add strength ; the perpendicular veneer strips used in this process

Etymology: Crossbanding is a woodworking term for laying veneer strips so that their grain runs across the grain of the core panel beneath, usually at right angles. The technique is a way of strengthening wood that would otherwise split or warp, since the crossed layers resist each other's tendency to move with changes in moisture. The word is formed from "cross," meaning across or at an angle, and "band," a strip of material, so the term describes the strips themselves as much as the act of applying them. The verb form, "crossband," is simply the base word with the present participle ending that turns it into the continuous form used for the process, so the word's history is plain rather than surprising. Its component parts are both old English words, and the compound appears to be a straightforward combination made to name a specific trade practice.