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
Workers will also reestablish vital tree canopy lost in the fire, planting coast live oak, Engelmann oak and Western sycamores.
—
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Populated by ethereal live oaks and pastel-colored bungalows, Fairhope’s idyllic beauty hasn’t worn thin since its founding in the late 1800s.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Guests are greeted by a wrought iron entry gate, courtyard and small forest of mature live oak trees blanketing the front of the home.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Cholokka Boulevard, lined with 19th-century brick buildings and massive live oaks, anchors the town with antique shops, art galleries, and cozy cafés.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for live oak
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Populated by ethereal live oaks and pastel-colored bungalows, Fairhope’s idyllic beauty hasn’t worn thin since its founding in the late 1800s.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2026
Guests are greeted by a wrought iron entry gate, courtyard and small forest of mature live oak trees blanketing the front of the home.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 9 Mar. 2026
Cholokka Boulevard, lined with 19th-century brick buildings and massive live oaks, anchors the town with antique shops, art galleries, and cozy cafés.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 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 16 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
