live oak

[ lahyv ]

noun

1. an evergreen oak, Quercus virginiana, of the southern U.S., having a short, broad trunk and shiny, oblong leaves: the state tree of Georgia.
2. any of various related trees.
3. the hard, durable wood of any of these trees.

live oak

/ laɪv /

noun

1. a hard-wooded evergreen oak, Quercus virginianus, of S North America: used for shipbuilding

Word History and Origins

Origin of live oak¹

An Americanism dating back to 1600–10

Example Sentences

A glimpse of the underside of a southern live oak tree leaf, which won first place in the 2021 Nikon Small World photomicroscopy competition, is just one example.

From Science News

Amidst the Hill Country’s rolling grasslands and clusters of live oak, there are well over 100 wineries, distilleries, and breweries.

From Outside Online

It caused such a controversy that it later was moved to a more out-of-the-way cemetery called Live Oak.

From The Daily Beast

That night she went and sat alone upon a bench that stood beneath a live oak tree at the edge of the gravel walk.

From Project Gutenberg

After that he and Mert, as by a common thought impelled, climbed out and went over to a bushy live oak to confer in privacy.

From Project Gutenberg

But I pushed on, and soon found myself in a dense grove of live oak.

From Project Gutenberg

The town is on a broad sandy plain, bordered by groves and thickets of live-oak, palmetto, and the coast pine.

From Project Gutenberg

The timber on this range consists of live oak, and various oaks resembling white burr and black oak, besides various shrubs.

From Project Gutenberg