cork oak

American  

[kawrk ohk] / ˈkɔrk ˌoʊk /

noun

1. an evergreen oak tree, Quercus suber, found especially in the western Mediterranean region: commercially significant as the source of cork.

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cork oak British  

noun

1. Also called: cork tree.  an evergreen Mediterranean oak tree, Quercus suber, with a porous outer bark from which cork is obtained

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Etymology

Origin of cork oak

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cork oak

Death cap mushrooms are known to sprout across the state of California but they thrive in shady, humid or moist environments under live oak and cultivated cork oak trees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026

Cork comes from the bark of cork oak trees, which can live for hundreds of years.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 23, 2024

Sarg recommends encountering cork oak in Chavez Ravine and Larchmont Village.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

This volume’s handsome plates feature forthright, detailed drawings; you can almost feel the sheen on the acorns of the cork oak or the shaggy surface of the Bristlecone fir.

From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2017

The third, or woody region, reaches from 2000 to 4000 feet, and the principal trees within it are the cork, oak, maple, and chestnut.

From Etna A History of the Mountain and of its Eruptions by G. F. Rodwell