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

Towering pines and stately live oaks make up the surrounding maritime forest. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 26 Sep. 2026

There are two-lane roads instead of endless traffic lights, mature live oaks, and just enough of a hip streak to keep things interesting. — Jill Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2026

On a historic square in Savannah, with live oaks cloaked in Spanish moss, Aaron Whitley, the Chatham County Democratic Party chair, says Ossoff has managed to transcend those fissures better than most. — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026

Lake Overstreet has about five miles of multi-use trails through live oaks (a northern Florida staple), hills and ravines surrounding a secluded 144-acre lake. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

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