plural corks
1
: a material that is made from the soft bark of a kind of oak tree
a piece of cork
a cork bulletin board
shoes with cork heels
2
: a piece of cork or another material (such as plastic) that is put in the opening of a bottle to close it
the cork of a wine bottle
She popped the cork on the champagne. [=she opened the bottle of champagne by removing the cork]
After their championship victory, the team was ready to pop the cork. [=to begin celebrating by opening and drinking bottles of champagne]
corks; corked; corking
1
: to close (something, such as a bottle) with a cork
Please cork the wine.
a corked bottle of wine
2
: to put cork inside (something, such as a baseball bat)
a player who has been accused of illegally corking his bats
a corked bat
Cite this Entry
“Cork.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/cork. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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