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

Once they made up their mind to purchase some porcelain, they could often be drawn into buying a teak chair or some other expensive piece of furniture.

From Literature

The exhibition also spotlighted India's diverse range of high-quality hardwoods such as teak, rosewood and ebony, and the country's deeply-rooted traditions of intricate handcrafting by local artisans.

From BBC

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

The dwelling itself boasts the most “refined” finishes, according to a description provided to Realtor.com, including “teak, marble, and natural stone floors, a designer chef’s kitchen, a gas fireplace, and a private elevator.”

From MarketWatch

I’d swapped handbags for the season — a slouchy straw tote with a teak handle traded for a forest-green suede pouch — and my wallet, apparently, hadn’t gotten the memo.

From Salon