ETYM Old Eng. oke, ok, ak, as. âc; akin to Dutch eik, German eiche, Old High Germ. eih, Icel. eik, Swed. ek, Dan. eeg.
Any tree or shrub of the genus Quercus of the beech family Fagaceae, with over 300 known species widely distributed in temperate zones. Oaks are valuable for timber, the wood being durable and straight-grained. Their fruits are called acorns.
The 60 species of North American oaks are divided into two groups: white oaks and red oaks. Most white oaks have leaves with rounded lobes, and their acorns are sweet and mature in one season. Red oaks characteristically have spiny, pointed lobes on their leaves, and their bitter acorns take two years to mature. The white oak q. alba of E us and the northern red oak q. rubra are typical examples. The evergreen live oaks (such as q. virginiana) form a subsection in the red oak group.
1. A deciduous tree of the genus Quercus; has acorns and lobed leaves; SYN. oak tree.
2. The hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring. + prikaži više