teak

American  

[teek] / tik /

noun

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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of teak

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

Example Sentences

Whether the Koru's deck is also illegal Myanmar teak – or comes from legal plantations elsewhere – is under investigation in Germany, where the first importer of the deck's wood appears to have been based.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

They range from thermally-modified woods, to fully synthetic materials, to engineered teak laminates – and while options have been around for years, recent innovations, say the companies and some users, are making them better.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

"Alternatives to natural teak are very welcome," says Walter Kollert, a Portugal-based forestry consultant and member of the steering committee of TEAKNET, a non-profit international teak information network.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Other natural woods that could serve as teak substitutes often struggle to meet the industry's exacting standards or are limited in supply.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

“Twitching noase be one neame,” answered the hedgehog obstinately, “and a-twitching of that noase be another, me- aster. Now you move along, kind Measter Brock, and leave a poor crofter to teak ’is winter drowse.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White