acorn

noun

ˈā-ˌkȯrn  -kərn 

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

Illustration of acorn

Examples of acorn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The agency believes the weather conditions had a big impact, but also a heavier than normal acorn crop, which often keeps deer from migrating. —Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Dec. 2025

Red foxes tend to eat more meat, while gray foxes eat meat but also more plant materials such as acorns or beechnuts, says Owen. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025

In late fall, flocks of wild turkeys will feed together in meadows, digging up worms or foraging for acorns and grasses. —Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 23 Nov. 2025

Winter squash, like butternut, acorn, and delicata, are eaten when the fruit has fully matured. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English akorn, akkorn (partially assimilated to corn "kernel, corn entry 1"), 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.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing acorn

• acorn squash
• acorn woodpecker
• acorn worm

Kids Definition

acorn

noun

ˈā-ˌkȯrn  -kərn 

: the roundish one-seeded thin-shelled nut of an oak tree usually having a woody cap