birch

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /bɝt͡ʃ/ UK /bɜːtʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #15895

Meanings

1

verb
to whip with a birch twig

The criminal was birched in the public square.
2

verb
To punish as though one were using a stick, bundle of twigs, or rod made of birch wood.

That the morrow would see us arraigned 'fore the Head And probably birched with a willow.
3

adj
consisting of or made of wood of the birch tree
4

noun
a switch consisting of a twig or a bundle of twigs from a birch tree

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 adj · consisting of or made of... birchenbirken

4 noun · a switch consisting of a... birch rod

Word family

Derived forms birchbarkbirchenbircherbirchlikebirchwoodbirchynon-birchunbirched

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

birch tree
a deciduous tree known for its thin bark that peels away in layers

Noun + noun

Etymology

PIE word *bʰerHǵós From Middle English birche, birk, from Old English birċe, bierċe, from Proto-West Germanic *birkijā, from Proto-Germanic *birkijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵos. Cognates Compare West Frisian bjirk, German Birke, variant of *berkō (compare Dutch berk, Danish birk, Swedish björk, Norwegian bjørk), Sanskrit भूर्ज (bhūrjá), Lithuanian béržas, Czech bříza, Ossetian бӕрз (bærz), Russian берёза (berjóza)), Latin fraxinus (“ash tree, ash javelin”), Albanian bredh.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# birch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /bɝt͡ʃ/
**IPA (UK):** /bɜːtʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 15895

## Meanings
1. to whip with a birch twig
2. To punish as though one were using a stick, bundle of twigs, or rod made of birch wood.
3. consisting of or made of wood of the birch tree
4. a switch consisting of a twig or a bundle of twigs from a birch tree

## Examples
- The criminal was birched in the public square.
- That the morrow would see us arraigned 'fore the Head And probably birched with a willow.

## Derived Forms
- birchbark
- birchen
- bircher
- birchlike
- birchwood
- birchy
- non-birch
- unbirched

## Etymology
PIE word *bʰerHǵós From Middle English birche, birk, from Old English birċe, bierċe, from Proto-West Germanic *birkijā, from Proto-Germanic *birkijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerHǵos. Cognates Compare West Frisian bjirk, German Birke, variant of *berkō (compare Dutch berk, Danish birk, Swedish björk, Norwegian bjørk), Sanskrit भूर्ज (bhūrjá), Lithuanian béržas, Czech bříza, Ossetian бӕрз (bærz), Russian берёза (berjóza)), Latin fraxinus (“ash tree, ash javelin”), Albanian bredh.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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