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teak

American  
[teek] / tik /

noun

teaks plural
  1. a large East Indian tree, Tectona grandis, of the verbena family, yielding a hard, durable, resinous, yellowish-brown wood used for shipbuilding, making furniture, etc.

  2. the wood of this tree.

  3. any of various similar trees or woods.


teak British  
/ tiːk /

noun

  1. a large verbenaceous tree, Tectona grandis, of the East Indies, having white flowers and yielding a valuable dense wood

  2. the hard resinous yellowish-brown wood of this tree, used for furniture making, etc

  3. any of various similar trees or their wood

  4. a brown or yellowish-brown colour

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of teak

1665–75; earlier teke < Portuguese teca < Malayalam tēkka

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.

Other impressive features found in the space included original teak plank flooring, an original marble staircase, and original picture moldings and wainscoting.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The highest quality teak comes from old-growth trees, which are harvested from natural forests almost exclusively in Myanmar.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

It is a well-known problem that Myanmar teak continues to find its way into supply chains, passed off for example as plantation teak from other tropical countries.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Netherlands-based shipyard Oceanco, which built the Koru for Bezos, was fined in late 2024 by the authorities there for using Myanmar teak in the yacht's interior.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Davis sat down on one of the teak loungers, and I sat across from him.

From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

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