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

The verdant expanse of the yard, with palm trees, octopus trees, live oaks, interrupted by the machinery of demolition. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024

Oak wilt spreading through root systems moves an average of 75 feet per year, primarily in live oaks. —Ryan Maxin, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Feb. 2024

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

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