cork

¹

[kawrk]

noun

1. the spongy layer of bark of the cork oak, used for making a wide range of products, including bottle stoppers, beverage coasters, fishing rod handles, bulletin boards, sound and heat insulation, and flooring materials.

2. cork oak.

3. something made of cork, as produced from the spongy bark of the cork oak.

   Bring that cork in here—we’re using it as a dartboard.

4. a piece of cork, rubber, or the like used as a stopper, as for a bottle.

   The cork you gave me is too large for this jug.

5. Angling.,  a small float to buoy up a fishing line or to indicate that a fish is biting.

   When the cork starts bobbing, you’ve got a fish!

6. Also called phellem, suber. Botany.,  an outer tissue of bark produced by and exterior to the phellogen.

verb (used with object)

1. to stop with or as if with a cork (often followed byup ).

   The bottles are mechanically corked, two dozen at a time.

   Cork these up and put them back in the cooler.

2. to provide or fit with cork or a cork.

   They’re tiling floors and corking walls in her new studio.

3. to blacken with burnt cork.

   During war games, they learned to cork their faces when operating under moonlight.

Cork

²

[kawrk]

noun

1. a county in Munster province, in S Republic of Ireland. 2,881 sq. mi. (7,460 sq. km).

2. a seaport in and the county seat of Cork, in the S part.

cork

¹

/ kɔːk /

noun

1. the thick light porous outer bark of the cork oak, used widely as an insulator and for stoppers for bottles, casks, etc

2. a piece of cork or other material used as a stopper

3. an angling float

4. Also called: phellem. botany a protective layer of dead impermeable cells on the outside of the stems and roots of woody plants, produced by the outer layer of the cork cambium

adjective

1. made of cork

verb

1. to stop up (a bottle, cask, etc) with or as if with a cork; fit with a cork

2. (often foll by up) to restrain

   to cork up the emotions

3. to black (the face, hands, etc) with burnt cork

Cork

²

/ kɔːk /

noun

1. a county of SW Republic of Ireland, in Munster province: crossed by ridges of low mountains; scenic coastline. County town: Cork. Pop: 447 829 (2002). Area: 7459 sq km (2880 sq miles)

2. a city and port in S Republic of Ireland, county town of Co Cork, at the mouth of the River Lee: seat of the University College of Cork (1849). Pop: 186 239 (2002)

cork

1. The outermost layer of tissue in woody plants that is resistant to the passage of water vapor and gases and that becomes the bark. Cork is secondary tissue, formed on the outside of the tissue layer known as cork cambium. The cell walls of cork cells contain suberin. Once they mature, cork cells die.

2. Also called phellem

3. The lightweight, elastic outer bark of the cork oak, which grows near the Mediterranean Sea. Cork is used for bottle stoppers, insulation, and other products.

Other Word Forms

• recork verb (used with object)
• corklike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cork¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English cork(e), of disputed origin; perhaps via Dutch or German from Old Spanish alcorque “cork shoe,” ultimately from dialectal Arabic qurq, perhaps from Latin quercus “oak” ( fir ( def. ) ); alternatively, instead from Spanish corcho, from Mozarabic, from Latin cortex “bark” ( cortex ( def. ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of cork¹

C14: probably from Arabic qurq, from Latin cortex bark, especially of the cork oak

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. blow / pop one's cork, to lose one's temper; release one's emotional or physical tension.

Example Sentences

The cork on the Mondavi Chardonnay, the first of several excellent bottles, is popped.

From Los Angeles Times

But there will not be any champagne corks popping in the Home Office.

From BBC

In fact, species like the Iberian hare benefit from the newly opened habitat and native cork oaks can quickly colonise burned land.

From BBC

There may well be a few sighs of relief from senior finance company and banking executives following the Supreme Court's ruling, but it is unlikely you will hear the champagne corks popping.

From BBC

They are still produced from cork, wound in string, cased in leather and held together by a hand-stitched seam.

From BBC