birch Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
  2. noun any betulaceous tree or shrub of the genus Betula having a thin peeling bark
    birch tree.
  3. noun a switch consisting of a twig or a bundle of twigs from a birch tree; used to hit people as punishment
    birch rod.
    • my father never spared the birch
  4. verb whip with a birch twig
  5. adjective satellite consisting of or made of wood of the birch tree
    birchen; birken.

WordNet

Birch noun
Etymology
OE. birche, birk, AS. birce, beorc; akin to Icel. björk, Sw. björk, Dan. birk, D. berk, OHG. piricha, MHG. birche, birke, G. birke, Russ. bereza, Pol. brzoza, Serv. breza, Skr. bhrja. Cf. 1st Birk.
Wordforms
plural Birches
Definitions
  1. A tree of several species, constituting the genus Betula; as, the white or common birch (B. alba) (also called silver birch and lady birch); the dwarf birch (B. glandulosa); the paper or canoe birch (B. papyracea); the yellow birch (B. lutea); the black or cherry birch (B. lenta).
  2. The wood or timber of the birch.
  3. A birch twig or birch twigs, used for flogging. ✍ The twigs of the common European birch (B. alba), being tough and slender, were formerly much used for rods in schools. They were also made into brooms.
    The threatening twigs of birch. Shak.
  4. A birch-bark canoe.
Birch adjective
Definitions
  1. Of or pertaining to the birch; birchen.
Birch transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Birched present participle & verbal noun Birching
Definitions
  1. To whip with a birch rod or twig; to flog.

Webster 1913