cork

noun \ ˈkȯrk \

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Examples: cork in a Sentence

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

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Examples of cork in a Sentence

the cork of a wine bottle

Recent Examples of cork from the Web

Natural, upcycled or recycled fabrics used in other interchangeable button-on straps (with buttons made from corozo nuts) include cotton, linen and cork and color options include gray, red, blue and burgundy.

— adam tschorn, latimes.com, "A tale of two timepieces: Rolex ropes the rose-gold rainbow, Baume gets earth-friendly with new watch," 7 June 2018
Napa Valley Wine Trains is partnering with Napa Palisades Beer Company to launch an experience for those who prefer pale ale over pinot noir, cans over corks.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "This 'Hop Train' Lets You Sip Craft Beers As You Tour the California Countryside," 5 June 2018
These minimalist charging pads from Grovemade are made using stainless steel and device-friendly cork that is hand-stained using Japanese calligraphy ink.

— joshua fruhlinger, WSJ, "You May Never Have to Plug In Your Smartphone Again," 31 May 2018
Another thing the Charles Shaw rosé has going for itself is a twist-off, resealable cork.

— olivia harrison, refinery29.com, "Trader Joe's Has A New Bottle Of Organic Rosé & It's $3.99," 24 May 2018
Deeper into the waterway, female otters float with their young perched on their chests, or with newborn otters — even more buoyant than adults thanks to their thick fur — bobbing alongside them like corks.

— Washington Post, "Sea otters rebound but struggle to regain historic range," 18 May 2018
Many alternatives to bottles and corks abound these days, but the clear winner for those looking to drink well for the dollar is the 3-liter bag-in-box format, which contains the equivalent of four standard bottles of wine.

— marnie old, Philly.com, "Great Wine Values: Black Box Merlot," 23 Apr. 2018
Both figures wre originally carved in cork and Styrofoam.

— martha schwendener, New York Times, "A Sci-Fi Showdown at the Met Museum’s Rooftop Garden," 12 Apr. 2018
Door knobs, orange juice container caps, egg cartons, wine bottle corks, doll heads, and fan blades were just some of the materials used to create sculptures, lamps, textiles, and encaustics.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Trashion Show's Message: Reduce, Reuse, Recyle," 16 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year