acorn

noun \ ˈā-ˌkȯrn , -kərn \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of acorn

: the nut of the oak usually seated in or surrounded by a hard woody cupule of indurated bracts

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Recent Examples of acorn from the Web

Hers features an acorn—a symbol for the oak trees of her hometown, which also convey growth and strength.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "All the Poignant Symbolism in Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s Coat of Arms," 29 May 2018
My grandfather was an adamant believer in a correlation between snowy winters and abundance of autumn acorns.

— greg porter, Washington Post, "Finally — spring has arrived. Recent warmth has pushed plants into full gear.," 27 Apr. 2018
Storing acorns in piles might be easier but would not work.

— ernie cowan outdoors, sandiegouniontribune.com, "One of nature’s hoarders," 7 Apr. 2018
The one that finds more acorns and thinks they’re at some sort of royal squirrel feast?

— peter dunn, USA TODAY, "Getting more take-home pay? What you should do with your paycheck increase," 30 Mar. 2018
All three of these oaks produce acorns that can feed wildlife.

— jennifer michelle greenberg, Houston Chronicle, "Group to give away trees to Pearland residents," 15 Jan. 2018
At UC Berkeley, a student Senate candidate has won election by campaigning on a platform of safe spaces for squirrels, better access to acorns and support groups for those experiencing habitat loss.

— latimes.com, "Today: The Comey Memos," 20 Apr. 2018
Grow an oak tree Not only do oak trees produce nutrient-dense acorns (a favorite of woodpeckers), but this genus of trees is host to more kinds of insects than any other.

— molly marquand, Good Housekeeping, "How To Attract Woodpeckers To Your Yard (And Why You'd Want To)," 13 June 2017
The Middleton family's coat of arms features three acorns, one representing each of the Middleton children.

— stacey leasca, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Might Receive a Priceless Wedding Gift From Kensington Palace," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acorn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of acorn

Origin and Etymology of acorn

Middle English akorn, akkorn (partially assimilated to corn "kernel, ¹corn"), hakerne, accherne, accharne, going back to Old English æcern, going back to Germanic *akrana- (whence also Middle High German ackeran "tree nuts," Old Norse akarn, Gothic akran "fruit, produce"); akin to Old Irish írne "sloe, kernel," Welsh eirin "plums, sloes," aeron "fruits, berries," going back to Celtic *agrinyo-, *agranyo-; perhaps further akin to a Balto-Slavic word with an initial long vowel (Old Church Slavic agoda "fruit," Polish jagoda "berry," Lithuanian úoga

Note: Taken to be a derivative of Indo-European *h₂eǵros "uncultivated field, pasture" (see acre), though this would seem to exclude the Balto-Slavic etymon, which lacks the suffix, from consideration. It is also not clear if fields, uncultivated or not, are the source of wild tree nuts.

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First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

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