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Webster 1913 Edition

Birch

Birch

(bẽrch)
,
Noun.
;
pl.
Birches
(-ĕz)
.
[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.
bhūrja
. √254. Cf. 1st
Birk
.]
1.
A tree of several species, constituting the genus
Betula
; as, the white or common birch (
Betula alba
) (also called silver birch and lady birch); the dwarf birch (
Betula glandulosa
); the paper or canoe birch (
Betula papyracea
); the yellow birch (
Betula lutea
); the black or cherry birch (
Betula 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
.
Shakespeare
4.
A birch-bark canoe.
Birch of Jamaica
,
a species (
Bursera gummifera
) of turpentine tree.
–
Birch partridge
.
(Zool.)
See
Ruffed grouse
.
–
Birch wine
,
wine made of the spring sap of the birch.
–
Oil of birch
.
(a)
An oil obtained from the bark of the common European birch (
Betula alba
), and used in the preparation of genuine (and sometimes of the imitation) Russia leather, to which it gives its peculiar odor.
(b)
An oil prepared from the black birch (
Betula lenta
), said to be identical with the oil of wintergreen, for which it is largely sold.

Birch

,
Adj.
Of or pertaining to the birch; birchen.

Birch

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Birched
(bẽrcht)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Birching
.]
To whip with a birch rod or twig; to flog.

Webster 1828 Edition

Birch

BIRCH

,
Noun.
burch. A genus of trees, the Betula, of which there are several species; as the white or common birch, the dwarf birch, the Canada birch, of which there are several varieties, and the common black birch.
Birch of Jamaica, a species of the Pistacia or turpentine tree.

BIRCH

Definition 2024

birch

birch

English

Birch trees Betula pendula (1)

Noun

birch ‎(plural birches)

  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

Translations

Verb

birch ‎(third-person singular simple present birches, present participle birching, simple past and past participle birched)

  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.

Translations

Derived terms

Etymology

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 *bʰerHǵs, *bʰérHǵos (compare Lithuanian béržas, Czech bříza, Ossetian бӕрз ‎(bærz), Russian берёза ‎(berjóza)).

Pronunciation

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