cork oak

noun

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

Examples of cork oak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cork comes from the spongy bark of the cork oak tree, which is primarily grown and harvested in the Mediterranean basin. —Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025

Cosimo, the main character, lives a full and adventurous life in the trees, among the branches of holm oaks, cork oaks, oaks, olive trees, beech trees and chestnut trees. —Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

Corks come from the thick bark of cork oak trees, which are primarily grown in Portugal and Spain. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 May 2025

This vast, open region of southern Portugal is characterized by its raw, unhurried beauty—inland, the scenery transitions into sprawling pine forests and ancient cork oak woodlands, while salt fields near the coastline glisten under the sun and the scent of the sea lingers in the breeze. —Monica Mendal, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cork oak

• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk
• kinsfolk
• menfolk
• provoke

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