n. & v.
n. 1 the buoyant light-brown bark of the cork-oak. 2 a bottle-stopper of cork or other material. 3 a float of cork used in fishing etc. 4 Bot. a protective layer of dead cells immediately below the bark of woody plants. 5 (attrib.) made of cork.
v.tr. (often foll. by up) 1 stop or confine. 2 restrain (feelings etc.). 3 blacken with burnt cork. cork-oak a S. European oak, Quercus suber. cork-tipped Brit. (of a cigarette) having a filter of corklike material. corklike adj.
[ ME f. Du. & LG kork f. Sp. alcorque cork sole, perh. f. Arab. ]