1
: any of a genus (Betula of the family Betulaceae, the birch family) of monoecious deciduous 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
Synonyms
Examples of birch in a Sentence
Noun
a cabinet made of birch
In those days, schoolchildren got the birch when they misbehaved.
Verb
students at the private school were once routinely birched for violating the rules
always a stern disciplinarian, our father birched anyone who talked back
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Han, Allure, 3 Jan. 2025
The Holocaust Memorial Garden consists of two granite boulders, on a bed of gravel, surrounded by a stand of birch trees.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Kerri Westenberg, Star Tribune, 11 Sep. 2020
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Noun
Niacinamide, glycerin, birch tree sap, and hyaluronic acid deeply hydrate skin, prevent moisture loss, and minimize inflammation.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 3 Jan. 2025
The Holocaust Memorial Garden consists of two granite boulders, on a bed of gravel, surrounded by a stand of birch trees.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
Find yellow aspen and birch along the shoreline and red maples inland.
—Kerri Westenberg, Star Tribune, 11 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for birch
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Cite this Entry
“Birch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birch. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
birch
2 of 2 verb
: to whip with or as if with a birch
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