birchen

Variant of birch

noun

  1. any of a genus (Betula) of trees and shrubs of the birch family, having smooth bark easily peeled off in thin sheets, and hard, closegrained wood: found in northern climates
  2. the wood of any of these trees
  3. a birch rod or bunch of twigs used for whipping

Origin: ME birche < OE beorc < IE base *bhereĝ-, to gleam, white > bright

transitive verb

to beat with a birch

adjective

  1. designating a family (Betulaceae, order Fagales) of dicotyledonous shrubs and trees, including the hazels, alders, and hornbeams
  2. of birch
    also birchen
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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