oak

Meanings

Noun

• A deciduous tree with distinctive deeply lobed leaves, acorns, and notably strong wood, typically of England and northeastern North America, included in genus Quercus.
• The wood of the oak.
• A rich brown colour, like that of oak wood.
• Any tree of the genus Quercus, in family Fagaceae.
• Any tree of other genera and species of trees resembling typical oaks of genus Quercus in some ways.
• The outer (lockable) door of a set of rooms in a college or similar institution. (Often in the phrase "to sport one's oak").
• The flavor of oak.

Adjective

• having a rich brown colour, like that of oak wood.
• made of oak wood or timber

Verb

• To expose to oak in order for the oak to impart its flavors.

Related

Similar words

• oaken

Broader meaning words

• tree

Origin

• From Middle English ook, oke, aik, ake, from Old English āc (also as Old English ǣċ), from Proto-West Germanic *aik, from Proto-Germanic *aiks, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eyǵ-.
• From Proto-Germanic: Scots aik, West Frisian iik, Dutch eik, German Eiche, Danish eg, Norwegian eik, Swedish ek, Yiddish אייכנבוים
• From Proto-Indo-European: Latin aesculus ("Durmast oak"), Lithuanian ąžuolas ("oak"), Albanian enjë ("juniper, yew"), Ancient Greek αἰγίλωψ ("Turkey oak")).