Showing results for "acorn"

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Politics dictionary results for acorn.

acorn

American  

[ey-kawrn, ey-kern] / ˈeɪ kɔrn, ˈeɪ kərn /

noun

• acorns
  plural

1. the typically ovoid fruit or nut of an oak, enclosed at the base by a cupule.

2. a finial or knop, as on a piece of furniture, in the form of an acorn.

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acorn British  

/ ˈeɪkɔːn /

noun

1. the fruit of an oak tree, consisting of a smooth thick-walled nut in a woody scaly cuplike base

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• acorned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acorns
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acorn acorns

An acorn doesn’t become an oak on an assembly line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 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

There the tribe has built a senior center and a shaded arbor for its ceremonial gatherings, including the making of “nupa,” the Miwok word for acorn soup.

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

Malcolm went to school, did his homework, fetched and carried at the inn, and read over and over again the secret message in the acorn.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

One thing LLMs are great at is rapidly finding little acorns within huge blocks of text.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Which is more interesting: the grand sweep of Russian history or the crunching sound of acorns underfoot?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

The drovers would forage along the way, picking berries, acorns and gleaning corn for the birds to eat.

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025

Although rising temperatures have led to more frequent bumper crops of acorns, the nuts still produce good and bad harvests every two to five years as part of their normal crop cycle.

From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025

My fist unfolded, and the acorns fell to the ground with a symphony of plinks.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas