live oak

noun

ˈlīv- 

: any of several American evergreen oaks: such as

a

: a medium-sized oak (Quercus virginiana) of southeastern North America often cultivated as a shelter and shade tree and noted for its extremely hard tough durable wood

b

: any of several oaks of the western U.S. with evergreen foliage and hard durable wood

Illustration of live oak

• live oak a

Examples of live oak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Neon parrakeets flocked over live oaks draped in Spanish moss. —Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026

Its landscape consists of marsh, ancient live oak maritime forest, and, of course, beaches. —Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

On the University of Texas campus, with its multitude of mature live oaks. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026

The Pontchartrain History towers over history at this Garden District Hotel, 14 floors of flapper era stateliness adjacent to St Charles Avenue, itself one of the most beautiful streets in the country, all live oaks and Oz-emerald streetcars. —Outside, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for live oak

• artichoke
• nanticoke
• womenfolk
• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk

Kids Definition

live oak

noun

ˈlī-ˌvōk 

: any of several American oaks with evergreen leaves and hard durable wood

especially : one of the southeastern U.S. that is grown for its shelter and shade and formerly much used in building ships