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

Some plants, however, including certain manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.), coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), and toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) will often resprout from their crowns (where trunk meets roots) after a fire. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 8 Feb. 2025

Outdoors, the landscaped grounds are laced with live oak trees and host formal gardens adorned with a life-size chessboard and a secret swing. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 24 Dec. 2024

Highlights include traditional Christmas tree and huge live oaks lit with LEDs to create a spectacular display. —Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

Take a streetcar on St. Charles Avenue or admire the live oaks in City Park or Audubon Park. —Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for live oak

• artichoke
• nanticoke
• womenfolk
• awoke
• baroque
• bespoke
• colloque
• convoke
• evoke
• invoke
• keystroke
• kinfolk

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