Solid wood has the same grain texture all the way through. Plywood, MDF, OSB, etc., are engineered wood. Basically, if it says 'solid wood,' my assumption is that what I see is what I get. If it’s plywood with a hardwood veneer, then it’s trying to trick me into thinking it’s something it’s not, and that doesn’t count. Although, technically, if a piece is made of plywood and doesn’t try to hide it, I guess you could argue it’s solid wood - because, technically, it is.
Something is "solid wood" if it's made from pieces of solid-sawn lumber. If it's built up from rotary-peeled veneers, woodchips, sawdust, or pulp, then it is not solid wood.
Someone else may be, but I was/am genuinely curious as to what others thought. I have a pretty "purist" view myself and wanted to see if I was in the minority or not.
I get the idea, but that was an honest answer. I usually refer to specific materials when working on a project, not a term to group a bunch of them. Either way works tho.
But if you would like to know my preference, the name of the tree translates to "european spruce" according to wikipedia. It's because it's readily available here, and usable inside and outside without a lot of extra treatment
Solid wood is generally understood to be lumber or timber, that is pieces of wood sawn from a tree. This is distinct from engineered wood or manufactured wood products which include MDF, plywood, and OSB. Engineered wood is made of fibers or strands that are pressed or glued, there is more in the final stock than just wood (I.e., glue, lignin separated via heating and pressing).
Particle board and plywood is made of sawdust and wood shavings. My definition of solid wood is something that came directly from a tree with the only major processing being cutting it into board, sheet, or similar.