live oak
Americannoun
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an evergreen oak, Quercus virginiana, of the southern U.S., having a short, broad trunk and shiny, oblong leaves: the state tree of Georgia.
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any of various related trees.
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the hard, durable wood of any of these trees.
noun
Etymology
Origin of live oak
An Americanism dating back to 1600–10
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.
While California live oak trees are protected in Altadena, others emblematic to the area are not.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
Other residents and helpers have been showing up to give what they can, adding everything from aloe plants to coast live oak saplings to a 7-foot Aleppo pine someone had potted in a bucket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025
Green-roofed cabins housing hundreds of campers and staff dotted the area, which is lush with cypress and live oak trees.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2025
Having healthy, irrigated California live oak and sycamore trees on your property can save your house, Syphard said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2025
Huge live oak trees lined each side of the road, with dangling beards of Spanish moss hanging from each branch.
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
