cork

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noun \ ˈkȯrk \

Definition of cork

1 a :the elastic tough outer tissue of the cork oak that is used especially for stoppers and insulation

b :phellem

2 :a usually cork stopper for a bottle or jug

3 :a fishing float

See cork defined for English-language learners

See cork defined for kids

Examples of cork in a Sentence

the cork of a wine bottle

Recent Examples of cork from the Web

For those visiting the coast, Captain Bobby Abruscato reports great action on sea trout around the Dauphin Island Bridge as well as around the gas rigs on live croakers, live shrimp and the Vudu plastic shrimp fished under popping corks.

— frank sargeant, AL.com, "Friday Fishing Report," 25 Aug. 2017
Because refrigerators rattle, the cork will shrink.

— sarah solomon, Town & Country, "An Etiquette Guide to Champagne and Oysters," 28 July 2017
But Kahan says allowing unauthorized retailers - in this case, Amazon - to sell the company's iconic cork-and-leather sandals could tarnish its brand and reputation.

— abha bhattarai, chicagotribune.com, "Birkenstock CEO accuses Amazon of 'modern day piracy'," 26 July 2017
Eucalyptus trees have destroyed native species like oaks, chestnuts, and cork – which are more resistant to fire – and now cover a quarter of total forest land.

— peter ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "Portugal's forest fires, though never before as deadly, are all too familiar," 27 June 2017
The cork catapulted through the air and the whole lobby cheered.

— irina aleksander, GQ, "Inside Trump International Hotel, the Mecca of Trump-ism," 27 June 2017
For decades, environmentalists and forest experts have called for the planting of oaks, chestnuts, and cork trees and for restrictions on eucalyptus.

— peter ford, The Christian Science Monitor, "Portugal's forest fires, though never before as deadly, are all too familiar," 27 June 2017
The question now is: When will the city put a cork in it?

— john tuohy, Indianapolis Star, "Noblesville sidesteps liquor quota to get spirits flowing," 26 June 2017
While throwing dead shrimp under a cork in the area, Delahoussaye hooked and landed an 18-inch redfish that had been tagged by the Coastal Conservation Association as part of its summer-long STAR tournament.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "Angler releases redfish that could have won him a truck," 23 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of cork

Middle English, cork, bark, probably from Middle Dutch *kurk or Middle Low German korck, from Old Spanish alcorque, ultimately from dialect Arabic qurq, from Latin quercus oak — more at fir

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

cork

verb

Definition of cork

transitive verb

1 :to furnish or fit with cork or a cork

2 :to stop up with a cork

cork a bottle

3 :to blacken with burnt cork

corked faces

See cork defined for English-language learners

Examples of cork in a Sentence

a corked bottle of wine
a player who has been accused of illegally corking his bats

Recent Examples of cork from the Web

All of the bottles are corked, and two layers of rubber are added to prevent saltwater from leaking in—and wine from leaking out.

— avery matera, SELF, "This Underwater Winery Takes the Mermaid Trend to the Next Level," 19 July 2017
All of the bottles are corked, and two layers of rubber are added to prevent saltwater from leaking in—and wine from leaking out.

— avery matera, SELF, "This Underwater Winery Takes the Mermaid Trend to the Next Level," 19 July 2017
All of the bottles are corked, and two layers of rubber are added to prevent saltwater from leaking in—and wine from leaking out.

— avery matera, SELF, "This Underwater Winery Takes the Mermaid Trend to the Next Level," 19 July 2017
Allee corked a home run over the left-field fence — the ninth Norco player to hit a home run this season — to lead off the top of the seventh.

— steve galluzzo, latimes.com, "Los Alamitos tops Norco for Southern Section Division 1 softball title," 3 June 2017
Napa Valley never gets corked out in producing wines.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Too much beer? EconoMeter panelists weigh in," 19 May 2017
All of the bottles are corked, and two layers of rubber are added to prevent saltwater from leaking in—and wine from leaking out.

— avery matera, Condé Nast Traveler, "Croatia's First Underwater Winery Is Open to Visitors," 7 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of cork

1535

Cork

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geographical name \ ˈkȯrk \

Definition of Cork

1 county of southwestern Ireland in Munster bordering on the Celtic Sea area 2880 square miles (7459 square kilometers), population 399,802

2 city and port at head of Cork Harbor, Ireland population 198,582

Note: The city of Cork is the capital of the county of Cork.

CORK Defined for English Language Learners

cork

verb

Definition of cork for English Language Learners

: to close (something, such as a bottle) with a cork
: to put cork inside (something, such as a baseball bat)

CORK Defined for Kids

cork

play

noun \ ˈkȯrk \

Definition of cork for Students

1 :the light but tough material that is the outer layer of bark of a tree ( cork oak ) and is used especially for stoppers and insulation

2 :a stopper for a bottle or jug

cork

verb

Definition of cork for Students

corked; corking

:to stop with a stopper

cork a bottle

Learn More about cork

See words that rhyme with cork Spanish Central: Translation of cork Nglish: Translation of cork for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cork for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cork

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