teak

[teek]

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.

teak

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of teak¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of teak¹

C17: from Portuguese teca, from Malayalam tēkka

Example Sentences

Her favorite is their outdoor table, which Greene crafted from leftover teak and inlaid with gecko leaves, a nod to her late mother’s favorite plant.

From Los Angeles Times

Upstairs, an 80-foot-long, curving teak deck, permitted within 50% of the rear setback, rotates around the pool, making the outdoor spaces feel much larger than they are.

From Los Angeles Times

Alfred quickly set up a furniture workshop, using Burmese teak and local Sikh labour to craft elegant dining sets - one of which still survives in the author's family.

From BBC

With four bedrooms and three bathrooms, the house had walls and floors of concrete complemented by a palette of redwood, teak, fir and glass block.

From Los Angeles Times

They started selling wagon wheels and teak twisted root furniture, but switched to vintage Western wear amid the recession.

From Los Angeles Times