Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Oak \Oak\ ([=o]k), n. [OE. oke, ok, ak, AS. [=a]c; akin to D.
   eik, G. eiche, OHG. eih, Icel. eik, Sw. ek, Dan. eeg.]
   1. (Bot.) Any tree or shrub of the genus {Quercus}. The oaks
      have alternate leaves, often variously lobed, and
      staminate flowers in catkins. The fruit is a smooth nut,
      called an {acorn}, which is more or less inclosed in a
      scaly involucre called the cup or cupule. There are now
      recognized about three hundred species, of which nearly
      fifty occur in the United States, the rest in Europe,
      Asia, and the other parts of North America, a very few
      barely reaching the northern parts of South America and
      Africa. Many of the oaks form forest trees of grand
      proportions and live many centuries. The wood is usually
      hard and tough, and provided with conspicuous medullary
      rays, forming the silver grain.

   2. The strong wood or timber of the oak.

   Note: Among the true oaks in America are:

   {Barren oak}, or

   {Black-jack}, {Q. nigra}.

   {Basket oak}, {Q. Michauxii}.

   {Black oak}, {Q. tinctoria}; -- called also {yellow} or
      {quercitron oak}.

   {Bur oak} (see under {Bur}.), {Q. macrocarpa}; -- called also
      {over-cup} or {mossy-cup oak}.

   {Chestnut oak}, {Q. Prinus} and {Q. densiflora}.

   {Chinquapin oak} (see under {Chinquapin}), {Q. prinoides}.

   {Coast live oak}, {Q. agrifolia}, of California; -- also
      called {enceno}.

   {Live oak} (see under {Live}), {Q. virens}, the best of all
      for shipbuilding; also, {Q. Chrysolepis}, of California.
      

   {Pin oak}. Same as {Swamp oak}.

   {Post oak}, {Q. obtusifolia}.

   {Red oak}, {Q. rubra}.

   {Scarlet oak}, {Q. coccinea}.

   {Scrub oak}, {Q. ilicifolia}, {Q. undulata}, etc.

   {Shingle oak}, {Q. imbricaria}.

   {Spanish oak}, {Q. falcata}.

   {Swamp Spanish oak}, or

   {Pin oak}, {Q. palustris}.

   {Swamp white oak}, {Q. bicolor}.

   {Water oak}, {Q. aguatica}.

   {Water white oak}, {Q. lyrata}.

   {Willow oak}, {Q. Phellos}. Among the true oaks in Europe
      are:

   {Bitter oak}, or

   {Turkey oak}, {Q. Cerris} (see {Cerris}).

   {Cork oak}, {Q. Suber}.

   {English white oak}, {Q. Robur}.

   {Evergreen oak},

   {Holly oak}, or

   {Holm oak}, {Q. Ilex}.

   {Kermes oak}, {Q. coccifera}.

   {Nutgall oak}, {Q. infectoria}.

   Note: Among plants called oak, but not of the genus
         {Quercus}, are:

   {African oak}, a valuable timber tree ({Oldfieldia
      Africana}).

   {Australian, or She}, {oak}, any tree of the genus
      {Casuarina} (see {Casuarina}).

   {Indian oak}, the teak tree (see {Teak}).

   {Jerusalem oak}. See under {Jerusalem}.

   {New Zealand oak}, a sapindaceous tree ({Alectryon
      excelsum}).

   {Poison oak}, the poison ivy. See under {Poison}.

Black \Black\, a. [OE. blak, AS. bl[ae]c; akin to Icel. blakkr
   dark, swarthy, Sw. bl["a]ck ink, Dan. bl[ae]k, OHG. blach,
   LG. & D. blaken to burn with a black smoke. Not akin to AS.
   bl[=a]c, E. bleak pallid. ?98.]
   1. Destitute of light, or incapable of reflecting it; of the
      color of soot or coal; of the darkest or a very dark
      color, the opposite of white; characterized by such a
      color; as, black cloth; black hair or eyes.

            O night, with hue so black!           --Shak.

   2. In a less literal sense: Enveloped or shrouded in
      darkness; very dark or gloomy; as, a black night; the
      heavens black with clouds.

            I spy a black, suspicious, threatening cloud.
                                                  --Shak.

   3. Fig.: Dismal, gloomy, or forbidding, like darkness;
      destitute of moral light or goodness; atrociously wicked;
      cruel; mournful; calamitous; horrible. ``This day's black
      fate.'' ``Black villainy.'' ``Arise, black vengeance.''
      ``Black day.'' ``Black despair.'' --Shak.

   4. Expressing menace, or discontent; threatening; sullen;
      foreboding; as, to regard one with black looks.

   Note: Black is often used in self-explaining compound words;
         as, black-eyed, black-faced, black-haired,
         black-visaged.

   {Black act}, the English statute 9 George I, which makes it a
      felony to appear armed in any park or warren, etc., or to
      hunt or steal deer, etc., with the face blackened or
      disguised. Subsequent acts inflicting heavy penalties for
      malicious injuries to cattle and machinery have been
      called black acts.

   {Black angel} (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the West Indies and
      Florida ({Holacanthus tricolor}), with the head and tail
      yellow, and the middle of the body black.

   {Black antimony} (Chem.), the black sulphide of antimony,
      {Sb2S3}, used in pyrotechnics, etc.

   {Black bear} (Zo["o]l.), the common American bear ({Ursus
      Americanus}).

   {Black beast}. See {B[^e]te noire}.

   {Black beetle} (Zo["o]l.), the common large cockroach
      ({Blatta orientalis}).

   {Black and blue}, the dark color of a bruise in the flesh,
      which is accompanied with a mixture of blue. ``To pinch
      the slatterns black and blue.'' --Hudibras.

   {Black bonnet} (Zo["o]l.), the black-headed bunting ({Embriza
      Sch[oe]niclus}) of Europe.

   {Black canker}, a disease in turnips and other crops,
      produced by a species of caterpillar.

   {Black cat} (Zo["o]l.), the fisher, a quadruped of North
      America allied to the sable, but larger. See {Fisher}.

   {Black cattle}, any bovine cattle reared for slaughter, in
      distinction from dairy cattle. [Eng.]

   {Black cherry}. See under {Cherry}.

   {Black cockatoo} (Zo["o]l.), the palm cockatoo. See
      {Cockatoo}.

   {Black copper}. Same as {Melaconite}.

   {Black currant}. (Bot.) See {Currant}.

   {Black diamond}. (Min.) See {Carbonado}.

   {Black draught} (Med.), a cathartic medicine, composed of
      senna and magnesia.

   {Black drop} (Med.), vinegar of opium; a narcotic preparation
      consisting essentially of a solution of opium in vinegar.
      

   {Black earth}, mold; earth of a dark color. --Woodward.

   {Black flag}, the flag of a pirate, often bearing in white a
      skull and crossbones; a signal of defiance.

   {Black flea} (Zo["o]l.), a flea beetle ({Haltica nemorum})
      injurious to turnips.

   {Black flux}, a mixture of carbonate of potash and charcoal,
      obtained by deflagrating tartar with half its weight of
      niter. --Brande & C.

   {Black fly}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) In the United States, a small, venomous, two-winged
          fly of the genus {Simulium} of several species,
          exceedingly abundant and troublesome in the northern
          forests. The larv[ae] are aquatic.
      (b) A black plant louse, as the bean aphis ({A. fab[ae]}).
          

   {Black Forest} [a translation of G. Schwarzwald], a forest in
      Baden and W["u]rtemburg, in Germany; a part of the ancient
      Hercynian forest.

   {Black game}, or {Black grouse}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Blackcock},
      {Grouse}, and {Heath grouse}.

   {Black grass} (Bot.), a grasslike rush of the species {Juncus
      Gerardi}, growing on salt marshes, and making good hay.

   {Black gum} (Bot.), an American tree, the tupelo or
      pepperidge. See {Tupelo}.

   {Black Hamburg (grape)} (Bot.), a sweet and juicy variety of
      dark purple or ``black'' grape.

   {Black horse} (Zo["o]l.), a fish of the Mississippi valley
      ({Cycleptus elongatus}), of the sucker family; the
      Missouri sucker.

   {Black lemur} (Zo["o]l.), the {Lemurniger} of Madagascar; the
      {acoumbo} of the natives.

   {Black list}, a list of persons who are for some reason
      thought deserving of censure or punishment; -- esp. a list
      of persons stigmatized as insolvent or untrustworthy, made
      for the protection of tradesmen or employers. See
      {Blacklist}, v. t.

   {Black manganese} (Chem.), the black oxide of manganese,
      {MnO2}.

   {Black Maria}, the close wagon in which prisoners are carried
      to or from jail.

   {Black martin} (Zo["o]l.), the chimney swift. See {Swift}.

   {Black moss} (Bot.), the common so-called long moss of the
      southern United States. See {Tillandsia}.

   {Black oak}. See under {Oak}.

   {Black ocher}. See {Wad}.

   {Black pigment}, a very fine, light carbonaceous substance,
      or lampblack, prepared chiefly for the manufacture of
      printers' ink. It is obtained by burning common coal tar.
      

   {Black plate}, sheet iron before it is tinned. --Knight.

   {Black quarter}, malignant anthrax with engorgement of a
      shoulder or quarter, etc., as of an ox.

   {Black rat} (Zo["o]l.), one of the species of rats ({Mus
      rattus}), commonly infesting houses.

   {Black rent}. See {Blackmail}, n., 3.

   {Black rust}, a disease of wheat, in which a black, moist
      matter is deposited in the fissures of the grain.

   {Black sheep}, one in a family or company who is unlike the
      rest, and makes trouble.

   {Black silver}. (Min.) See under {Silver}.

   {Black and tan}, black mixed or spotted with tan color or
      reddish brown; -- used in describing certain breeds of
      dogs.

   {Black tea}. See under {Tea}.

   {Black tin} (Mining), tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed,
      stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form
      of a black powder, like fine sand. --Knight.

   {Black walnut}. See under {Walnut}.

   {Black warrior} (Zo["o]l.), an American hawk ({Buteo
      Harlani}).

   Syn: Dark; murky; pitchy; inky; somber; dusky; gloomy; swart;
        Cimmerian; ebon; atrocious.

Source : WordNet®

black oak
     n : medium to large deciduous timber tree of the eastern United
         States and southeastern Canada having dark outer bark and
         yellow inner bark used for tanning; broad 5-lobed leaves
         are bristle-tipped [syn: {yellow oak}, {quercitron}, {quercitron
         oak}, {Quercus velutina}]