oak

[ ohk ]

noun

1. any tree or shrub belonging to the genus Quercus, of the beech family, bearing the acorn as fruit.
2. the hard, durable wood of an oak tree, used in making furniture and in construction.
3. Archaic. the leaves of an oak tree, especially as worn in a chaplet.

adjective

1. pertaining to or made of oak:

   an antique oak desk;

   heavy oak doors with double locks.

oak

/ əʊk /

noun

1. any deciduous or evergreen tree or shrub of the fagaceous genus Quercus, having acorns as fruits and lobed leaves See also holm oak cork oak red oak Turkey oak durmast quercine
2. 1. the wood of any of these trees, used esp as building timber and for making furniture
   2. ( as modifier )

      an oak table

3. any of various trees that resemble the oak, such as the poison oak, silky oak, and Jerusalem oak
4. 1. anything made of oak, esp a heavy outer door to a set of rooms in an Oxford or Cambridge college
   2. to shut this door as a sign one does not want visitors
5. the leaves of an oak tree, worn as a garland
6. the dark brownish colour of oak wood
7. any of various species of casuarina, such as desert oak, swamp oak, or she-oak

Other Words From

• oak·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of oak¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English ok(e), oc, Old English āc; cognate with Dutch eik, German Eiche, Old Icelandic eik; further origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of oak¹

Old English āc; related to Old Norse eik, Old High German eih, Latin aesculus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sport one's oak, British. (of a university student) to indicate that one is not at home to visitors by closing the outer door of one's lodgings.

Example Sentences

Ten pounds heavier and with bulging biceps, San Diego State commit Tae Simmons of Heritage Christian sure looked the part of a dominant inside player Monday night in Heritage Christian’s 82-48 season-opening win over Oak Park.

From Los Angeles Times

Camarillo is scheduled to host a playoff game against Oak Park on Friday, and air conditions around the high school have been good.

From Los Angeles Times

Oak Hills has been waiting weeks to turn loose running back Karson Cox, and Oaks Christian presents the perfect challenge, though the Lions have lost key players on defense to injuries.

From Los Angeles Times

For instance, alcohol is an effective way to wash off poison oak if you apply it within 30 minutes, he said; otherwise, use juice from the ground-up native mugwort plant to treat the soon-to-follow blistering rash.

From Los Angeles Times

Interesting side note: Mugwort tends to grow next to poison oak.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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• arena
• auditorium
• cinema
• concert hall
• drama
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• house
• movie
• movie house
• opera house
• playhouse
• room
• scene
• site
• theatre