live oak

noun

ˈlīv- 

: any of several American evergreen oaks: such as

a

: a medium-sized oak (Quercus virginiana) of southeastern North America often cultivated as a shelter and shade tree and noted for its extremely hard tough durable wood

b

: any of several oaks of the western U.S. with evergreen foliage and hard durable wood

Illustration of live oak

• live oak a

Examples of live oak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some selections still standing after a major storm within the 20- to 35-foot range include crape myrtles, hollies, redbud, sand live oaks, tree ligustrums and winged elms. —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 May 2025

Spend time wandering along the river at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park or shopping on Bay Street, and then check into a historic inn shaded by the generous arms of an ancient live oak. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2025

Coastal live oaks stretched their long branches into a graceful embrace. —Francine Kiefer, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr. 2025

Stroll to see historic homes on streets lined with live oaks. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for live oak

• artichoke
• nanticoke
• womenfolk
• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk

Kids Definition

live oak

noun

ˈlī-ˌvōk 

: any of several American oaks with evergreen leaves and hard durable wood

especially : one of the southeastern U.S. that is grown for its shelter and shade and formerly much used in building ships