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live oak

American  
[lahyv] / laɪv /

noun

  1. an evergreen oak, Quercus virginiana, of the southern U.S., having a short, broad trunk and shiny, oblong leaves: the state tree of Georgia.

  2. any of various related trees.

  3. the hard, durable wood of any of these trees.


live oak British  
/ laɪv /

noun

  1. a hard-wooded evergreen oak, Quercus virginianus, of S North America: used for shipbuilding

"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 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

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

Green-roofed cabins housing hundreds of campers and staff dotted the area, which is lush with cypress and live oak trees.

From Salon

On Saturday morning, the volunteers spent hours pulling up the black mustard, focusing on a patch of land with five large coast live oaks.

From Los Angeles Times

I offered my loneliness and heartbreak to the live oaks and sycamores, refuse they could make into something useful the same way they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.

From Los Angeles Times