oak

American  

[ohk] / oʊk /

noun

1. any tree or shrub belonging to the genus Quercus, of the beech family, bearing the acorn as fruit.

2. the hard, durable wood of an oak tree, used in making furniture and in construction.

3. Archaic. the leaves of an oak tree, especially as worn in a chaplet.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or made of oak.

   an antique oak desk;

   heavy oak doors with double locks.

idioms

1. sport one's oak, (of a university student) to indicate that one is not at home to visitors by closing the outer door of one's lodgings.

oak British  

/ əʊk /

noun

1. any deciduous or evergreen tree or shrub of the fagaceous genus Quercus, having acorns as fruits and lobed leaves See also holm oak cork oak red oak Turkey oak durmast

2. 1. the wood of any of these trees, used esp as building timber and for making furniture

   2. ( as modifier )

      an oak table

3. any of various trees that resemble the oak, such as the poison oak, silky oak, and Jerusalem oak

4. 1. anything made of oak, esp a heavy outer door to a set of rooms in an Oxford or Cambridge college

   2. to shut this door as a sign one does not want visitors

5. the leaves of an oak tree, worn as a garland

6. the dark brownish colour of oak wood

7. any of various species of casuarina, such as desert oak, swamp oak, or she-oak

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Other Word Forms

• oaklike adjective

Etymology

Origin of oak

First recorded before 900; Middle English ok(e), oc, Old English āc; cognate with Dutch eik, German Eiche, Old Icelandic eik; further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Options already exist for fixing dyes without lead, including natural mordants derived from plants rich in tannins, such as oak bark, pomegranate peel and rosemary, as well as alum, which is considered environmentally safe.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

He calls it an “ultimate expression” that balances an “aged oak influence with fresh fruit notes.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

They’ve found dozens of places where deep trenches are planned under oak and pine trees that survived the fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

To commemorate Halimi, whose abduction and murder in 2006 horrified France, Macron planted an oak tree in the garden of the Elysee Palace, joined by Halimi's sister, Anne-Laure Abitbol.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

As the truck turns onto Flores Road, which goes between two fields of yellow wildflowers and squat oak trees, there’s a flash of light in the ditch.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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