oak

noun

ˈōk How to pronounce oak (audio)
plural oaks or oak
often attributive
1
a
: 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

Illustration of oak

Illustration of oak
  • 1 acorn
  • 2 leaf

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
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.
This whisky was matured in American and European oak casks. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 Learn how to recognize the many varieties of oaks during an outdoor walk followed by studying oak leaves under a microscope in a classroom. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025 The multi-use area has a playground, picnic areas, and lots of shade from old-growth oak trees. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 1 June 2025 By contrast, Isole e Olena Chianti Classico undergoes fermentation in stainless steel tanks before undergoing 12 months of aging in a combination of Austrian and French oak casks. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for oak

Word History

Etymology

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).

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of oak was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing oak

Rhymes for oak

See All Rhymes for oak

Browse Nearby Words

Oahuan
oak
oak apple
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oak. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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Kids Definition

oak

noun
ˈōk How to pronounce oak (audio)
plural oaks or oak
1
: any of various trees or shrubs closely related to the beeches and chestnuts and producing acorns
2
: the tough hard wood of the oak much used for furniture and flooring
oaken
ˈō-kən How to pronounce oak (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on oak

Nglish: Translation of oak for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about oak

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