n.
Pronunciation: ' b ə rch
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English beorc; akin to Old High German birka birch, Old English beorht bright, and probably to Latin fraxinus ash tree ― more at BRIGHT
Date: before 12th century
1 : any of a genus ( Betula of the family Betulaceae, the birch family) of monoecious deciduous usually short-lived trees or shrubs having simple petioled leaves and typically a layered membranous outer bark that peels readily
2 : the hard pale close-grained wood of a birch
3 : a birch rod or bundle of twigs for flogging
– birch or birch · en \ ' b ə r-ch ə n \ adjective