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.
Marsh views and the shade of live oaks maintain the connection to nature and stays include daily Lowcountry meals carefully sourced from local farmers or the on-site garden. Elaine Glusac, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025 The parade starts at 10:15 a.m. at The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, continues through Savannah’s historic district, and ends near Forsyth Park's famous live oaks. Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2025 Tree varieties include Eureka lemon, pink guava, Golden Delicious apple, coast live oak, olive, crape myrtle, California sycamore, desert willow and torrey pines. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 Japanese maples are also slow-growing by their nature, so that 5-, 10-, or 20-gallon specimen took extra time to make ready for market compared to a live oak or red oak, for example. Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Live oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20oak. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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

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