wood grain
Tree's natural lines
Wood grain is the pattern of lines and textures visible in cut wood, created by the tree's growth rings and fibers.
Different cuts reveal different patterns—straight, wavy, or swirling.
The term extends to imitations of this pattern in laminates, vinyl, or printed surfaces: wood grain contact paper, a wood grain dashboard.
Furniture makers prize distinctive grains like burl or tiger stripe.
- figuringComputing or deducing
- bird's eyeOverhead vantage point
- lineContinuous mark or queue
- veneerDecorative outer layer
- lumberSawn wood for building
timber · rough · sandpaper · furniture making · natural beauty · smooth · hardwood · carpentry · fiddleback · tiger stripe · dendrochronology · old growth · curl · stains · swirl · streak · pattern · rings
- natural texturesbark, leather, fur, stone, rock
- natural patternszebra stripes, fingerprints, snowflakes, lightning bolts, leopard spots
- floor and wall patternsfloral, geometric, striped, stripes, damask
- wallpaper typesfloral wallpaper, vinyl wallpaper, peel and stick, damask, toile
- luthieryluthier, luthiers, violin making, violin maker, bow making
- wood scienceheartwood, sapwood, cambium, xylem, phloem
texture/surface pattern
wood grainsolid color
Single unbroken hue
flat finish · unpatterned · smooth finish · smooth surface · featureless