Birch

Pronunciation

• GenAm enPR: bû(r)ch, IPA: /bɝtʃ/
• RP enPR: bû(r)ch, IPA: /bɜːtʃ/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)tʃ

Origin

From Middle English birche, birk, from Old English birce, bierce, from Proto-Germanic *birkijǭ (compare West Frisian bjirk, German Birke), variant of *berkō (compare Dutch berk, Swedish björk), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰérHǵos (compare Lithuanian béržas, Czech bříza, Ossetian бӕрз, Russian береза).

Full definition of birch

Noun

1. any of various trees of the genus Betula, native to countries in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. a hard wood taken from the birch tree, typically used to make furniture.
3. a stick, rod or bundle of twigs made from birch wood, used for punishment.
4. A birch-bark canoe.

Derived terms

• birch beer
• birch bolete
• birch bracket
• birchlike
• birch of Jamaica
• birch partridge
• birch sap
• birch wine
• birchy
• black birch
• cherry birch
• dwarf birch
• oil of birch
• paper birch
• river birch
• silver birch
• sweet birch
• yellow birch

Verb

1. to punish with a stick, bundle of twigs, or rod made of birch wood.
2. to punish as though one were using a stick, bundle of twigs, or rod made of birch wood.

Derived terms

• birchen
• birch wood