live oak

noun

: any of several American evergreen oaks: such as
a
: a medium-sized oak (Quercus virginiana) of southeastern North America often cultivated as a shelter and shade tree and noted for its extremely hard tough durable wood
b
: any of several oaks of the western U.S. with evergreen foliage and hard durable wood

Illustration of live oak

Illustration of live oak
  • live oak a

Examples of live oak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s a photo in the book from Tallahassee, with the live oaks and the Spanish moss hanging onto them. Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Sep. 2024 On a grassy hillside nestled into a live oak woodland ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area, a group of elementary students armed with clipboards huddle around a cluster of native vegetation, sketching its craggy form and jotting down observations. Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2024 Just like in the early days of the residency, all steak cuts will be prepared over a live oak fire visible to dining room patrons. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 The first section is a wide path shaded by massive coast live oaks, some jutting from the hillsides at angles that seem to defy gravity. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for live oak 

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of live oak was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near live oak

Cite this Entry

“Live oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20oak. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

live oak

noun
: any of several American oaks with evergreen leaves and hard durable wood
especially : one of the southeastern U.S. that is grown for its shelter and shade and formerly much used in building ships

More from Merriam-Webster on live oak

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!