\ ˈkȯrk 
\
\Definition of cork
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a : 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
cork
verbcorked; corking; corks
Definition of cork (Entry 2 of 3)
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
Cork
geographical name\ ˈkȯrk \
\Definition of Cork (Entry 3 of 3)
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.
Examples of cork in a Sentence
Noun
the cork of a wine bottle Verb
a corked bottle of wine
a player who has been accused of illegally corking his bats
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Push the button again to eject the cork from the device.
—
Billy Cadden, Popular Science, "Tools to upgrade your home bar," 5 Jan. 2021 Indulging in a bottle of bubbly is a great way to mark any kind of occasion, and there’s no shame in planning to go the traditional New Year’s Eve route and pop the cork on a bottle of sparkling wine at midnight.
—
al, "Ready for the new year? Ring it in with these four sparkling wine ideas," 30 Dec. 2020 The patented technology involves a micro-thin needle that pierces the cork — yet leaves no trace of entry — and a pump that extracts the wine and air, replacing it with a neutral gas which prevents oxidation.
—
Tina Danze, Dallas News, "Dallas wine experts share their 15 top holiday gift ideas," 17 Dec. 2020 The innovative wine opener, which is used by top sommeliers and found in many high-end wine bars and restaurants, extracts wine using a hollow needle so the cork is never removed.
—
Alicia Cypress, USA TODAY, "21 gift ideas for the wine lover in your life," 16 Dec. 2020 And the owner of a bulletin board can't be sued for what somebody else pins to the cork.
—
Arkansas Online, "OPINION | EDITORIAL: And so it begins," 6 Dec. 2020 However, Law refuses to put a cork in her efforts to get people to take Texas seriously as a wine region.
—
Dalila Thomas, Dallas News, "Marine Corps veteran launches 100% Texas-grown wine brand called Cheramie Wine," 15 Dec. 2020 When using your Coravin — a device that extracts wine from the bottle without removing the cork or oxidizing the wine — WinePrO2 can help preview how the wine might taste in a few months or years.
—
Dave Mcintyre, Washington Post, "Holiday gift ideas for wine lovers: Tasting kits, virtual classes, gadgets and wine TV," 4 Dec. 2020 The innovative wine opener, which is used by top sommeliers and found in many high-end wine bars and restaurants, extracts wine using a hollow needle so the cork is never removed.
—
Alicia Cypress, USA TODAY, "21 gift ideas for the wine lover in your life," 20 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Once upended, the sediment falls into the neck of the bottle, which is then briefly frozen so when the cap is removed the frozen plug of sediment is expelled by the carbonation of the wine; the bottle is then corked.
—
Florence Fabricant, New York Times, "A Quarantine Activity for the Wine Lover," 5 May 2020 Stacked in neat piles beneath the remnants of the 19th-century building’s stairs were several hundred bottles, some still corked and full of sloshing fluid.
—
Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, "Archaeologists in Leeds Unearth 600 Lead-Spiked, 19th-Century Beer Bottles," 26 Mar. 2020 Maybe players didn’t want to pop amphetamines, cork their bats, scuff up the baseballs or take steroids, but these were trends, producing great results.
—
Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "Astros’ rivals may be complaining, but history should remain unchanged," 17 Jan. 2020 Ruby is gripped with fear every time fireworks go off or when a bottle is corked open, essentially whenever anything sounds like gunshots—making the season’s opening New Year’s Eve party particularly difficult for him.
—
Candice Frederick, Teen Vogue, ""On My Block" Star Jason Genao on the Responsibility of Portraying a Gun Violence Survivor and "Showing a Wider View of America" With Ruby," 3 Apr. 2019 An open bottle of Champagne has the lifespan of a mayfly: Unlike red or white wine, there’s no corking it and saving it for cooking.
—
Alexandra Kleeman, WSJ, "New Year’s Resolution: Pop Champagne Whenever," 28 Dec. 2018 For example, a wine that’s corked is often said to smell like a damp basement or wet dog, while a wine that’s too old is generally described as dusty and dried out, all tannin, no fruit.
—
Lettie Teague, WSJ, "The Perverse Pleasure of a Truly Bad Bottle of Wine," 27 Sep. 2018 Throughout the night, Champagne corks flew across the room, and a palpable buzz grew in anticipation of a top-secret musical act, which around midnight was revealed to be none other than Travis Scott.
—
Zachary Weiss, Vogue, "Travis Scott and Lewis Hamilton Blew the Roof Off of Tommy Hilfiger’s NYFW Bash," 11 Sep. 2018 All of Belle's bats (at least on that trip) were corked.
—
Bud Shaw, cleveland.com, "A career writing about Cleveland sports: The blessings far outweighed The Curse -- Bud Shaw," 4 May 2018
See MoreThese 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for cork
cork
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of cork
: to close (something, such as a bottle) with a cork
: to put cork inside (something, such as a baseball bat)
See the full definition for cork in the English Language Learners Dictionary
cork
noun\ ˈkȯrk \
\Kids Definition of cork
(Entry 1 of 2)
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
verbcorked; corking
Kids Definition of cork (Entry 2 of 2)
: to stop with a stopper
cork a bottle
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on cork
What made you want to look up cork? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quiz - Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quiz - How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz - Play the game
Share cork
Time Traveler for cork
The first known use of cork was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century