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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.


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

"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

Etymology

Origin of cork oak

First recorded in 1870–75

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:

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

Home to a third of the world’s cork oak forests, Portugal has dreamed up myriad uses for the natural, sustainable material.

From New York Times Apr. 19, 2018

The cork oak is one of the important trees.

From A Journey Through France in War Time by Butler, Joseph G. (Joseph Green)

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