acorn

[ ey-kawrn, ey-kern ]

noun

1. the typically ovoid fruit or nut of an oak, enclosed at the base by a cupule.
2. a finial or knop, as on a piece of furniture, in the form of an acorn.

acorn

/ ˈeɪkɔːn /

noun

1. the fruit of an oak tree, consisting of a smooth thick-walled nut in a woody scaly cuplike base

Other Words From

• a·corned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of acorn¹

before 1000; Middle English acorne (influenced by corn ¹ ), replacing akern, Old English æcern, æcren mast, oak-mast; cognate with Old Norse akarn fruit of wild trees, Middle High German ackeran acorn, Gothic akran fruit, yield < Germanic *akrana-; alleged derivation from base of acre is dubious if original reference was to wild trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of acorn¹

C16: a variant (through influence of corn ) of Old English æcern the fruit of a tree, acorn; related to Gothic akran fruit, yield

Example Sentences

However, if the city is successful in planting more trees to help combat extreme heat, it could have the added benefit of hosting more birds such as acorn woodpeckers and California scrub jays.

From Los Angeles Times

This is before we watch her make the cheese, bake the bread and whip up the butter from fresh cream, along with preparing an acorn squash and sweet potato soup and roasting some fish.

From Salon

The landscape is dotted with small plants and miniature versions of iconic American train stations, including L.A.’s Union Station, made of natural materials like acorns and seedpods.

From Los Angeles Times

Things get weirder and more delightful with a bobcat and bear band, where instruments are fashioned out of logs and vegetation, and later some Afro-Cuban frogs jamming out with acorns.

From Los Angeles Times

For centuries, the Miwok, a people indigenous to Northern California, relied on acorns as a central part of their diet.

From New York Times