oak

[ohk]

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.

adjective

1. pertaining to or made of oak.

   an antique oak desk;

   heavy oak doors with double locks.

oak

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• oaklike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oak¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of oak¹

Old English āc; related to Old Norse eik, Old High German eih, Latin aesculus

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

As some heated rocks in the fire and others cracked and used stones to grind acorns into flour, the smell of burning oak logs permeated the air.

From Los Angeles Times

English oaks are one of the UK's best-loved trees, growing widely in parks, gardens and the countryside.

From BBC

In fact, species like the Iberian hare benefit from the newly opened habitat and native cork oaks can quickly colonise burned land.

From BBC

English oaks are losing leaves on the canopy and producing deadwood, he says, and Norway Maple and magnolias are showing signs of stress.

From BBC

There is a sense of familiarity in the oak floorboards and the slanted sunlight within Chan’s thoughtfully designed space.

From Los Angeles Times

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