cork

[ kawrk ]

/ kɔrk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR cork ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the outer bark of an oak, Quercus suber, of Mediterranean countries, used for making stoppers for bottles, floats, etc.

Also called cork oak. the tree itself.

something made of cork.

a piece of cork, rubber, or the like used as a stopper, as for a bottle.

Angling. a small float to buoy up a fishing line or to indicate that a fish is biting.

Also called phellem, suber. Botany. an outer tissue of bark produced by and exterior to the phellogen.

verb (used with object)

to provide or fit with cork or a cork.

to stop with or as if with a cork (often followed by up).

to blacken with burnt cork.

Idioms for cork

blow/pop one's cork, Informal. to lose one's temper; release one's emotional or physical tension.

Origin of cork

1275–1325; Middle English cork(e) < Arabic qurq < Latin quercus oak

OTHER WORDS FROM cork

re·cork, verb (used with object)

Words nearby cork

corious, corita, corium, corixid, corizza, cork, cork cambium, cork oak, cork tree, cork-tipped, corkage

British Dictionary definitions for blow one's cork (1 of 2)

Cork

/ (kɔːk) /

noun

a county of SW Republic of Ireland, in Munster province: crossed by ridges of low mountains; scenic coastline. County town: Cork. Pop: 447 829 (2002). Area: 7459 sq km (2880 sq miles)

a city and port in S Republic of Ireland, county town of Co Cork, at the mouth of the River Lee: seat of the University College of Cork (1849). Pop: 186 239 (2002)

Gaelic name: Corcaigh

British Dictionary definitions for blow one's cork (2 of 2)

cork

/ (kɔːk) /

noun

the thick light porous outer bark of the cork oak, used widely as an insulator and for stoppers for bottles, casks, etc

a piece of cork or other material used as a stopper

an angling float

Also called: phellem botany a protective layer of dead impermeable cells on the outside of the stems and roots of woody plants, produced by the outer layer of the cork cambium

adjective

made of cork Related adjective: suberose

verb (tr)

to stop up (a bottle, cask, etc) with or as if with a cork; fit with a cork

(often foll by up) to restrain to cork up the emotions

to black (the face, hands, etc) with burnt cork

Derived forms of cork

corklike, adjective

Word Origin for cork

C14: probably from Arabic qurq, from Latin cortex bark, especially of the cork oak

Scientific definitions for blow one's cork

cork

[ kôrk ]

The outermost layer of tissue in woody plants that is resistant to the passage of water vapor and gases and that becomes the bark. Cork is secondary tissue, formed on the outside of the tissue layer known as cork cambium. The cell walls of cork cells contain suberin. Once they mature, cork cells die. Also called phellem

The lightweight, elastic outer bark of the cork oak, which grows near the Mediterranean Sea. Cork is used for bottle stoppers, insulation, and other products.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

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cork