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

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 cork oak forms woods, chiefly in the south of the island.

From Itinerary through Corsica by its Rail, Carriage & Forest Roads by Black, C. B.