red oak

American  

noun

1. any of several oak trees, as Quercus rubra, or Q. falcata, of North America.

2. the hard, cross-grained wood of these trees.

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red oak British  

noun

1. any of several deciduous oak trees, esp Quercus borealis , native to North America, having bristly leaves with triangular lobes and acorns with small cups

2. the hard cross-grained reddish wood of this tree

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Etymology

Origin of red oak

An Americanism dating back to 1625–35

Example Sentences

Storey and Holmes began to introduce red oak as an accent material, though the effect is still monochromatic.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2023

Among them: red maple, red oak, basswood and ironwood.

From Scientific American • May 5, 2023

Each acorn was painted with colored bands to indicate its species: red oak, bur oak, black oak, white oak, swamp white oak, scarlet oak, pin oak, willow oak.

From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2022

I may yet find one last flush of shiitakes stair-stepping up the side of an old stump, feeding themselves on the rich red oak.

From Salon • Nov. 24, 2022

It happened in 1848, long before I was surrounded by concrete and cars, when I was just a few decades old—still a youngster, by red oak standards.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate