[birch] n [ME, fr. OE beorc; akin to OHG birka birch, OE beorht bright, and prob. to L fraxinus ash tree--more at bright] (bef. 12c) 1: any of a genus (Betula of the family Betulaceae, the birch family) of monoecious deciduous usu. 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 adj
[2]birch vt (1830): to beat with or as if with a birch: whip