Veneers
Before describing what wood veneer is, it's important to know what the word “veneer” means. A veneer is a thin coating over the top of a solid material that is designed to look extremely nice. This is usually done for economical reasons.
There are many reasons to use wood veneer. The first is that it is more economical than using solid wood of the same species. Another is that a much wider variety of species is available in veneer form than solid form. Additionally there are many more options for wood veneer matching across large projects.