cork

[ kawrk ]

/ kɔrk /

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See synonyms for cork on Thesaurus.com

noun

the outer bark of an oak, Quercus suber, of Mediterranean countries, used for making stoppers for bottles, floats, etc.

Also called cork oak. the tree itself.

something made of cork.

a piece of cork, rubber, or the like used as a stopper, as for a bottle.

Angling. a small float to buoy up a fishing line or to indicate that a fish is biting.

Also called phellem, suber. Botany. an outer tissue of bark produced by and exterior to the phellogen.

verb (used with object)

to provide or fit with cork or a cork.

to stop with or as if with a cork (often followed by up).

to blacken with burnt cork.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about cork

blow / pop one's cork, Informal. to lose one's temper; release one's emotional or physical tension.

Origin of cork

1275–1325; Middle English cork(e) <Arabic qurq<Latin quercus oak

OTHER WORDS FROM cork

re·cork, verb (used with object)

Words nearby cork

corious, corita, corium, corixid, Corizza, cork, corkage, corkboard, cork cambium, corked, corker

Other definitions for cork (2 of 2)

Cork

[ kawrk ]

/ kɔrk /

noun

a county in Munster province, in S Republic of Ireland. 2,881 sq. mi. (7,460 sq. km).

a seaport in and the county seat of Cork, in the S part.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cork in a sentence

When I first pulled the cork, my initial impression was of green under-ripeness, but that disappeared within about 15 minutes.
These 3 delicious wines are kosher for Passover and start at $12|Dave McIntyre|March 12, 2021|Washington Post
Tyler Reith of Greenhome Solutions recommended cork for its thermal, vibrational, and acoustic-insulating properties.
How to Build a Green Van|Lauren Matison|March 11, 2021|Outside Online
If Frank Lloyd Wright had a van today, you can bet there’d be cork in it.
How to Build a Green Van|Lauren Matison|March 11, 2021|Outside Online
As for the floor insulation, we ordered cork rolls from Manton.
How to Build a Green Van|Lauren Matison|March 11, 2021|Outside Online

Enter Workvivo, a Cork, Ireland-based employee experience startup that is backed by Zoom founder Eric Yuan and Tiger Global that has steadily grown over 200% over the past year.
Inside Workvivo’s plans to take on Microsoft in the employee experience space|Mary Ann Azevedo|March 4, 2021|TechCrunch
In fact, Viagra was originally developed in County Cork, Ireland with the intention of improving blood flow to the heart.
Viagra Promising for Muscular Dystrophy Patients|Emily Shire|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The floors were softened by cork tiles, the walls by Philippine mahogany paneling.
The Night Vince Lombardi Lay Awake Brooding Over a 49-0 Win|W.C. Heinz|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eyebrows Cressida: Imagine eyebrows drawn on a balloon with a blackened cork.
Cressida Bonas vs. Cara Delevingne: A Differentiation Guide to Two Celebrity English Roses|Tom Sykes|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The two move from Vermont, where Fred worked in corporate training, to County Cork.
Must Reads: Margot Livesey, Robert Walser and More|Wendy Smith, Malcolm Forbes, Jane Ciabattari|February 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Their nanny is from Cork, Ireland, and she is amazing and hilarious.
Neil Patrick Harris Hosts the Tonys|Kevin Sessums|June 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And the deep grave weltering below you, and only a ring of cork and oilskin to keep you out of that cold home.
The Chequers|James Runciman
But no sooner was she full than the discharging tubes freed her, and she rose again and again, buoyant as a cork.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
Perrott went to Cork, where the sessions were well attended and where he executed sixty more persons.
Ireland Under the Tudors, Vol. II (of 3)|Richard Bagwell
He married the eldest daughter of the Earl of Cork, by whom he had a son and a daughter.
Private Letters of Edward Gibbon (1753-1794) Volume 1 (of 2)|Edward Gibbon
Cork and Cloyne were united in the fifteenth century, and Dominic Tirrey was appointed in 1536.
Ireland Under the Tudors, Vol. II (of 3)|Richard Bagwell

British Dictionary definitions for cork (1 of 2)

cork

/ (kɔːk) /

noun

the thick light porous outer bark of the cork oak, used widely as an insulator and for stoppers for bottles, casks, etc

a piece of cork or other material used as a stopper

an angling float

Also called: phellem botany a protective layer of dead impermeable cells on the outside of the stems and roots of woody plants, produced by the outer layer of the cork cambium

adjective

made of corkRelated adjective: suberose

verb (tr)

to stop up (a bottle, cask, etc) with or as if with a cork; fit with a cork

(often foll by up) to restrainto cork up the emotions

to black (the face, hands, etc) with burnt cork

Derived forms of cork

corklike, adjective

Word Origin for cork

C14: probably from Arabic qurq, from Latin cortex bark, especially of the cork oak

British Dictionary definitions for cork (2 of 2)

Cork

/ (kɔːk) /

noun

a county of SW Republic of Ireland, in Munster province: crossed by ridges of low mountains; scenic coastline. County town: Cork. Pop: 447 829 (2002). Area: 7459 sq km (2880 sq miles)

a city and port in S Republic of Ireland, county town of Co Cork, at the mouth of the River Lee: seat of the University College of Cork (1849). Pop: 186 239 (2002)

Gaelic name: Corcaigh

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

Scientific definitions for cork

cork

[ kôrk ]

The outermost layer of tissue in woody plants that is resistant to the passage of water vapor and gases and that becomes the bark. Cork is secondary tissue, formed on the outside of the tissue layer known as cork cambium. The cell walls of cork cells contain suberin. Once they mature, cork cells die. Also called phellem

The lightweight, elastic outer bark of the cork oak, which grows near the Mediterranean Sea. Cork is used for bottle stoppers, insulation, and other products.

cork

Idioms about cork

Origin of cork

OTHER WORDS FROM cork

Words nearby cork

Other definitions for cork (2 of 2)

Words related to cork

How to use cork in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cork (1 of 2)

Derived forms of cork

Word Origin for cork

British Dictionary definitions for cork (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for cork