white oak

noun

: any of various oaks (especially Quercus alba of eastern North America) with acorns that mature in one year and leaf veins that never extend beyond the margin of the leaf
also : its hard strong durable wood

Illustration of white oak

Illustration of white oak
  • leaves and acorns

Examples of white 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.
The kitchen includes white oak cabinets, honed quartzite counters, and a walk-in pantry. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 14 June 2026 In addition, all of the rooms in the house, including the bedrooms, have white oak hardwood floors. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026 These are stacked wood or white oak sheets punctuated with portholes and lined inside with parchment paper. — Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 17 May 2026 Pale white oak floors and walls combine with hues of soothing cream, sand, mocha and carbon, reflecting a peaceful palette. — Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for white oak

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white oak was in 1610

Rhymes for white oak

See All Rhymes for white oak

Browse Nearby Words

white nun orchid
white oak
white oakum
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“White oak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white%20oak. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

white oak

noun
: any of various oaks with acorns that mature in one year
also : the hard, strong wood of a white oak that lasts well and is not easily rotted by water

More from Merriam-Webster on white oak

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about white oak

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All