oak

noun, often attributive

\ ˈōk

plural oaks or oak

Definition of oak

1a : any of a genus (Quercus) of trees or shrubs of the beech family that produce acorns also : any of various plants related to or resembling the oaks

b : the tough hard durable wood of an oak tree

2 : the leaves of an oak used as decoration

Other Words from oak Example Sentences Learn More about oak

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Examples of oak in a Sentence

Tall oaks line the street. The table is solid oak. The cabinets are made of oak.

Recent Examples on the Web

An open-grain wood, oak isn't ideal for direct food preparation, Pless explains. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Butcher-Block Countertops: Pros, Cons, and Everything Else You Should Know," 15 Jan. 2019 The White House says the 12- to 14-foot sapling came from the original Eisenhower oak near an East Wing garden created by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. — Darlene Superville, The Seattle Times, "Melania Trump helps plant baby Eisenhower oak at White House," 27 Aug. 2018 The 12-to-14-foot sapling came from the original Eisenhower oak that towers over an East Wing garden created by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "Melania Trump joins presidential descendants to plant baby Eisenhower oak at White House," 27 Aug. 2018 Plant pathologists and arborists alike tell us that all pruning of oaks should be done between mid-July and Valentine’s Day because that’s when the oak wilt fungus is inactive in our trees. — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, "Here’s your gardening to-do list for the second part of the summer," 11 July 2018 Chip and Joanna used a light, neutral color palette and French oak wood floors, giving the interior an airy, open feel. — Maya Mcdowell, House Beautiful, "Chip And Joanna Gaines Are Selling This Gorgeous Texas Farmhouse For $625,000," 13 Feb. 2019 The oak countertop on the VADHOLMA island adds warmth, while the black and white color scheme keeps things modern. — Jessica Dailey, Good Housekeeping, "Your Style," 11 Feb. 2019 The kitchen was expanded, a breakfast room was added, and heart-pine floors were switched to a paler oak. — Julia Reed, ELLE Decor, "Tour a rebuilt and refreshed California home damaged by fire," 11 Feb. 2019 Next to a beautiful sideboard (c. 1904-05) by the influential American designer Gustav Stickley is an anonymous 1914 child’s rocking chair, boasting similar wood (oak) and related aesthetics. — Edward Rothstein, WSJ, "‘The Rise of Everyday Design: The Arts and Crafts Movement in Britain and America’ Review: Reformist, Yet Committed to Beauty," 11 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oak.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for oak

Middle English ook, oke, going back to Old English āc, going back to Germanic *eik- (whence also Old Frisian ēk "oak," Old Saxon ēc, Old High German eih, eihha, Old Norse eik), of obscure origin

Note: Old English āc is a feminine root noun (dative singular and nominative plural ǣc), though forms leveled to other declensions with umlaut are already evident. Germanic *eik- has been compared with the Greek words aigílōps, a name in Theophrastus for a species of oak (Quercus macrolepis?), and krátaigos, a species of hawthorn (also in Theophrastus), but interpretation of the conjoined elements of these words is conjectural (lṓpē is not actually attested in the sense "cork" or "bark"). The derivation of Latin aesculus "a species of oak (Quercus petraea?)" is obscure. The Lithuanian dialect forms áižuols and áužuolas "oak," superficially comparable, are hypercorrections of ą́žuolas, which is very unlikely to be related to *eik- (cf. Old Prussian ansonis = German eche in the Elbing Vocabulary).