Illustration of live oak
- live oak a
: 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
Examples of live oak in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the University of Texas campus, with its multitude of mature live oaks.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
The Pontchartrain History towers over history at this Garden District Hotel, 14 floors of flapper era stateliness adjacent to St Charles Avenue, itself one of the most beautiful streets in the country, all live oaks and Oz-emerald streetcars.
—Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Bolton opposes the developer’s plan to move the live oak, arguing that moving the tree could kill it.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Continue in the southerly direction, appreciating the gnarled coast live oaks and sound of shy red-eared sliders plopping off their logs into the water.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
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Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
The Pontchartrain History towers over history at this Garden District Hotel, 14 floors of flapper era stateliness adjacent to St Charles Avenue, itself one of the most beautiful streets in the country, all live oaks and Oz-emerald streetcars.
—Outside, 17 Feb. 2026
Bolton opposes the developer’s plan to move the live oak, arguing that moving the tree could kill it.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
Continue in the southerly direction, appreciating the gnarled coast live oaks and sound of shy red-eared sliders plopping off their logs into the water.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for live oak
Cite this Entry
“Live oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20oak. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
live oak
noun
: 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
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