Illustration of live oak
- live oak a
: 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
Examples of live oak in a Sentence
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Located in Daley Ranch, a preserve spanning over 3,000 acres with more than 25 miles of trails, the 4-mile Boulder Loop Trail follows a wide dirt path surrounded by coast live oak trees, sage and California lilacs, plus offers views of a quaint pond.
—
Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Dec. 2025
The refuge is filled with mythical-looking cypress trees and live oaks with Spanish moss.
—Sheeka Sanahori, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025
The island was forested with palmettos and live oaks, but there was no sign of primate life.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
New live oak trees were planted at Toomer’s Corner in 2015, where the tradition lives on.
—Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live oak
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Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Dec. 2025
The refuge is filled with mythical-looking cypress trees and live oaks with Spanish moss.
—Sheeka Sanahori, Outside, 11 Nov. 2025
The island was forested with palmettos and live oaks, but there was no sign of primate life.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
New live oak trees were planted at Toomer’s Corner in 2015, where the tradition lives on.
—Jordy Fee-Platt, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for live oak
Cite this Entry
“Live oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20oak. Accessed 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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