live oak

noun

ˈlīv- How to pronounce live oak (audio)
: 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
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Examples of live oak in a Sentence

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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.
When Dantona first bought the house, a live oak was growing in the front yard. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Towering live oaks draped with Spanish moss lined the neighborhood, casting long shadows across the pavement as the sun began to set. — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026 The many windows let natural light stream in through the view of the surrounding live oaks. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026 Early recordings listed native Southern live oaks/Quercus virginiana and pine trees alongside other natives, like the Red Maple/Acer rubrum, Florida Maple/Acer barbatum, PawPaw/Asimina obovata, and Red buckeye/Aesculus pavia. — Candace Barone, Florida Times-Union, 15 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for live oak

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Browse Nearby Words

liveness
live oak
live-oaker
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Cite this Entry

“Live oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/live%20oak. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

live oak

noun
ˈlī-ˌvōk How to pronounce live oak (audio)
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on live oak

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about live oak

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