acorn

noun

ˈā-ˌkȯrn How to pronounce acorn (audio) -kərn How to pronounce acorn (audio)
: the nut of the oak usually seated in or surrounded by a hard woody cupule of indurated bracts

Illustration of acorn

Illustration of acorn

Examples of acorn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Experts attributed that to oak trees producing a larger-than-expected number of acorns, which allowed larger numbers of deer and other animals that ticks prey on to survive. —Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 4 July 2025 Moths chew holes in cabbage; squirrels plant acorns in the garlic plot. —Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 When the layer was unearthed, researchers found more than 450 lead missile acorns, a type of small projectile, and nine iron dart tips, according to the release. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 June 2025 Like planting an acorn, the benefits of R&D take time to grow. —John Drake, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for acorn

Word History

Etymology

Middle English akorn, akkorn (partially assimilated to corn "kernel, corn entry 1"), hakerne, accherne, accharne, going back to Old English æcern, going back to Germanic *akrana- (whence also Middle High German ackeran "tree nuts," Old Norse akarn, Gothic akran "fruit, produce"); akin to Old Irish írne "sloe, kernel," Welsh eirin "plums, sloes," aeron "fruits, berries," going back to Celtic *agrinyo-, *agranyo-; perhaps further akin to a Balto-Slavic word with an initial long vowel (Old Church Slavic agoda "fruit," Polish jagoda "berry," Lithuanian úoga)

Note: Taken to be a derivative of Indo-European *h2eǵros "uncultivated field, pasture" (see acre), though this would seem to exclude the Balto-Slavic etymon, which lacks the suffix, from consideration. It is also not clear if fields, uncultivated or not, are the source of wild tree nuts.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acorn was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing acorn

Browse Nearby Words

Acopa
acorn
acorn barnacle
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Cite this Entry

“Acorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acorn. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

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Kids Definition

acorn

noun
ˈā-ˌkȯrn How to pronounce acorn (audio) -kərn How to pronounce acorn (audio)
: the roundish one-seeded thin-shelled nut of an oak tree usually having a woody cap

More from Merriam-Webster on acorn

Nglish: Translation of acorn for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about acorn

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