I. cork 1 /kɔːk $ kɔːrk/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: Probably from Arabic qurq , from Latin cortex ; ⇨ ↑ cortex ]
1 . [uncountable] the ↑ bark (=outer part) of a tree from southern Europe and North Africa, used to make things:
a cork bulletin board
2 . [countable] a long round piece of cork or plastic which is put into the top of a bottle, especially a wine bottle, to keep liquid inside
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THESAURUS
▪ cover something that is put on or over something else to protect it, for example a piece of metal, plastic, or glass:
a manhole cover
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the cover that goes over the barbecue
▪ covering a layer of something, or a sheet of something, that covers something else:
There was light covering of snow on the ground.
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The hard shell acts as a protective covering.
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the cloth coverings on the altar
▪ lid a cover for a container such as a pan or a box:
the lid of the box
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a saucepan lid
▪ top/cap the thing that you put on top of a bottle, tube, or pen, in order to prevent the liquid or other things inside from coming out:
I can’t find the cap for the pen.
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Put the top back on the milk!
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the cap that goes on the toothpaste
▪ cork the top part that you put on top of a bottle of wine:
Can you take off the cork for me?
▪ wrapping ( also wrap especially American English ) a sheet of paper, plastic etc that is put around something in order to cover or protect it:
John tore the wrapping off his presents.
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The lamp was still in its wrapping.
▪ wrapper a piece of paper or plastic that is put around something you buy, especially a small object:
Put the candy wrappers in your pocket.
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He took the drinking straw out of its wrapper.
II. cork 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to close a bottle by blocking the hole at the top tightly with a long round piece of cork or plastic OPP uncork