live oak

noun

ˈlīv- 

: 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

• live oak a

Examples of live oak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Two tall, anemic palm trees and a reaching live oak stood within the narrow, gated front yard, and there were porches on the first and second floors. —Ian Frisch, Curbed, 9 Jan. 2025

The disease is often identified in live oaks by yellow and brown veins appearing in the trees' leaves. —Ryan Maxin, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Feb. 2024

California bay and coast live oak are the dominant trees in the forest. —Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025

Launched on October 21, 1797, as part of the nation’s new navy, the ship’s hull was made of live oak, the toughest wood grown in North America. —Kim Foley MacKinnon, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

live oak

noun

ˈlī-ˌvōk 

: 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