teak

noun

ˈtēk How to pronounce teak (audio)
1
: a tall tropical Asian timber tree (Tectona grandis) of the mint family
2
: the hard yellowish-brown wood of teak used especially for furniture and shipbuilding

Examples of teak 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.
Designed in bluish-grey and neutral hues, my suite was awash in teak and marble. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026 Built by master Konjo shipwrights in South Sulawesi using dense tropical teak and ironwood, Silolona and its sister phinisi schooner, Si Datu Bua, venture where few travelers have sailed before. — Luke Abrahams, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026 Nearby, a late-19th-century English pine cricket table from William Word Antiques in Atlanta stands beside a 1960s Danish teak floor lamp found on Chairish. — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026 The roll-down blinds are also made from matching wool felt, while the floor benefits from boat deck-style teak planks. — New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for teak

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese teca, from Malayalam tēkka

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of teak was in 1698

Rhymes for teak

See All Rhymes for teak

Browse Nearby Words

teaing
teak
teakettle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Teak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teak. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

teak

noun
ˈtēk How to pronounce teak (audio)
1
: a tall timber tree of southeastern Asia
2
: the hard durable yellowish brown wood of a teak

called also teak*wood\ ˈtē-​ˌkwu̇d \

More from Merriam-Webster on teak

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about teak

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of satiate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All