noun
birch
burch
noun
1
A tree with thin, often pale, peeling bark, common across the Northern Hemisphere.
"A row of silver birches lined the driveway."
2
A bundle of birch twigs formerly used as an instrument of corporal punishment.
"Schoolboys were once punished with the birch."
verb
1
To punish someone by beating them with a birch rod.
"He was birched for stealing apples."
How to Use Birch
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA pale-barked tree, or (historically) a beating given with a bundle of its twigs.
Common pairings
silver birch
birch tree
birch bark
Word Forms
birched past tense, birches plural, Birches plural, Birchs plural, birches singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “birch”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A row of silver _____ lined the driveway.
Etymology
From Old English bierce/birce, an ancient Germanic tree name going back to a root meaning "bright" or "white," referring to the pale bark.