acorn
Americannoun
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the typically ovoid fruit or nut of an oak, enclosed at the base by a cupule.
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a finial or knop, as on a piece of furniture, in the form of an acorn.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of acorn
before 1000; Middle English acorne (influenced by corn 1 ), replacing akern, Old English æcern, æcren mast, oak-mast; cognate with Old Norse akarn fruit of wild trees, Middle High German ackeran acorn, Gothic akran fruit, yield < Germanic *akrana-; alleged derivation from base of acre is dubious if original reference was to wild trees
Explanation
The nut, or fruit, that grows on oak trees is called an acorn. Chicken Little thought the sky was falling when an acorn fell on his head. Don't make that same mistake. Acorns are a distinctive nut that's often found on forest floors where oak trees grow. They are smooth and greenish, set in a rough brown base that's shaped like a little cup. The acorn is a seed, able to sprout roots if it falls in the right place, eventually growing into a new oak tree. Many animals eat acorns, some stockpiling the nuts for weeks. In Old English, æcern means "nut," from a Germanic origin.
Vocabulary lists containing acorn
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.
See Examples For:
Fireballs are made when much larger pieces of debris, external - more like the size of a grape or an acorn - pass though the atmosphere.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
According to scientists, the crisis is being driven by a fast-growing bear population, combined with a falling human population and poor acorn harvest pushing bears to seek food elsewhere.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
Rachel Williams, the vice chair of the rancheria, sat on the ground, grinding acorn meat in a stone mortar that had been handed down by her great grandmother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2025
All you’ll need are two medium acorn squashes, cooked quinoa or wild rice, fresh or dried cranberries, chopped pecans or walnuts, diced onions, garlic, cinnamon, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.
From Salon ● Nov. 23, 2024
He lifts his acorn cup, as if in salute.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
It introduces us to Chinese villagers 10,000 years ago who subsisted on a mélange of acorns, berries, deer and pigs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
Meat N’ Bone Pork Rack – Iberico is another special variety of pork, hailing from Spain, where these pigs roam free and are fed a diet of grass, grains, and acorns.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
Scientists say that bear numbers have grown in Japan in recent years thanks to an abundance of food such as acorns, deer and boars due to a warming climate.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
Why is it a bumper year for acorns?
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2025
Cassiopeia tried to show her some basic facts of multiplication, but Bertha proved even less adept at math than Nutsawoo, who could at least comprehend that three acorns made a more filling snack than two.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
