Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

teak

American  
[teek] / tik /

noun

  1. a large East Indian tree, Tectona grandis, of the verbena family, yielding a hard, durable, resinous, yellowish-brown wood used for shipbuilding, making furniture, etc.

  2. the wood of this tree.

  3. any of various similar trees or woods.


teak British  
/ tiːk /

noun

  1. a large verbenaceous tree, Tectona grandis, of the East Indies, having white flowers and yielding a valuable dense wood

  2. the hard resinous yellowish-brown wood of this tree, used for furniture making, etc

  3. any of various similar trees or their wood

  4. a brown or yellowish-brown colour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of teak

1665–75; earlier teke < Portuguese teca < Malayalam tēkka

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The laminated wood product it uses, Green Teak, comes from Thailand.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Teak Latitude Board – There’s one big downside to a fabulous charcuterie board.

From Salon • Nov. 20, 2025

Over the past month South Korean and U.S. special operations troops conducted a live-fire drill named "Teak Knife", which included a U.S.

From Reuters • Mar. 3, 2023

The same supervisor appointed in Mesa County - Teak Simonton, a former county clerk in Colorado who has served in leadership roles for the Colorado County Clerk’s Association - will oversee Pueblo County this year.

From Washington Times • Oct. 17, 2022

Teak forests cover 2000 square miles in North-West Matabeleland; and Mashonaland is very well timbered, mostly with trees of the acacia family.

From South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 1 (of 6) From the Foundation of Cape Colony to the Boer Ultimatum of 9th Oct. 1899 by Creswicke, Louis

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "teak" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com