Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products.Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the Caribbean. Burma accounts for nearly one third of the world's total teak production.^{[citation needed]}

The word teak comes from the Tamil (in the Dravidan region) word thekku. This tree is mentioned in the seventh-century literature of Tamil popularly known as the Tevaram.

Tectona grandis is a large, deciduous tree that is dominant in mixed hardwood forests. It has small, fragrant white flowers and papery leaves that are often hairy on the lower surface.

Tectona grandis is a large, deciduous tree up to 40 m (131 ft) tall with gray to grayish brown branchlets. Leaves are ovate-elliptic to ovate, 15–45 cm (5.9–17.7 in) long by 8–23 cm (3.1–9.1 in) wide, and are held on robust petioles that are 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 in) long. Leaf margins are entire.