Buying slabs
Grain is the direction and arrangement of wood fibres in a piece.
Straight, interlocked or wavy grain changes how wood cuts, moves and reflects light. It can guide board orientation and tool choice.
Grain is related to figure but is not identical to it. Figure is the visible pattern produced by grain, growth and the way the log was sawn.
More terms
A slab is a single wide piece sawn lengthwise from a log and kept at substantial thickness.
In slab listings, board can mean one solid sawn piece from a log.
Solid wood is wood cut from a tree rather than a sheet made from fibres, particles or veneer over a core.
A finished panel is a manufactured or glued panel supplied at a set size and surface condition.