bur oak

noun

1. an oak tree, Quercus macrocarpa, of eastern North America, having shiny, dark-green leaves, light-gray deeply ridged bark, and very large acorns with a fringed cup, yielding a hard, durable wood: the state tree of Illinois.

bur oak

noun

1. an E North American oak, Quercus macrocarpa , having fringed acorn cups and durable timber

Word History and Origins

Origin of bur oak¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

Van Pelt repeated the method on 11 more trees, including bur oak, scarlet oak and the pecan.

From Seattle Times

Each acorn was painted with colored bands to indicate its species: red oak, bur oak, black oak, white oak, swamp white oak, scarlet oak, pin oak, willow oak.

From New York Times

Adams pointed to an outbreak of blight among bur oaks across the Midwest.

From Washington Post

His ashes are buried under a bur oak she can see from the kitchen window.

From New York Times

Hundreds of trucks and trailers lined up recently for a grocery chain’s offer of an 80% discount on 2,500 bur oak trees that were up to 10 feet tall and would typically cost $500.

From Seattle Times