The nuts of oak trees, typically oval-shaped with a cup-like cap, serving as food for wildlife and capable of growing into new oak trees.
From Old English 'æcern' meaning 'fruit of the unenclosed land', related to 'æcer' (field). The word originally referred to any nut or berry from wild trees before becoming specific to oak nuts.
Acorns were a staple food for many indigenous peoples, who developed elaborate processes to leach out the bitter tannins and make them edible. A single oak tree can produce up to 2,000 pounds of acorns in a good year, making them one of nature's most abundant wild foods.
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