cork
A soft floor covering made from cork oak bark, applied as sheets or tiles over an underlying floor.
Cork flooring consists of sheets or tiles of cork bark, harvested from the cork oak tree (Quercus suber). It is a soft and impermeable substance, and while not an especially common flooring material, it provides benefits in comfort and insulation.
The material is bark from the cork oak. Its origin distinguishes it from wood flooring made from trunks or branches, and its cushioning character places it among soft floor coverings.
Both sheet and tile installations qualify. A different material with a cork-colored or cork-patterned finish does not become cork flooring solely through that appearance; the installed cork bark supplies the material distinction.