cork oak

noun

: an oak (Quercus suber) of southern Europe and northern Africa that is the source of the cork of commerce

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Semi-wild black pigs grow fat on a diet of acorns dropped by the forests of cork oaks across the southern Alentejo region. Paul Ames, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023 Youth groups such as this Mendocino County 4-H Club were a key audience for the cork oak planting campaigns. David A. Taylor, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2020 Cooke consulted with arborists to chart the climate zones across the U.S. where cork oak could grow and thrive. David A. Taylor, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2020 The founders began working with cork after realizing that the ecosystem wasn’t disturbed by harvesting the material from cork oak trees. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2022 On a recent afternoon, Stephanie Carrie walked up to a cork oak tree on Potomac Avenue, a residential street in Mid-City, and put her hand up against the bark. Jacqueline Pinedo, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2022 Extracting the bark of a cork oak is an ancient practice of self-regeneration that enhances its ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Lauren Matison, Outside Online, 11 Mar. 2021 Other options include cork produced from the regenerating bark of a cork oak tree and cellulose from recycled newsprint and paper. Miriam Porter, House Beautiful, 22 Apr. 2022 It's harvested from the bark layer of cork oak trees in Portugal every nine years. Alex Warner, PEOPLE.com, 22 Apr. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cork oak.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cork oak was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near cork oak

Cite this Entry

“Cork oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cork%20oak. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

cork oak

noun
: an oak of southern Europe and northern Africa that is the source of the cork used especially for stoppers and insulation

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