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1. Any betulaceous tree or shrub of the genus Betula having a thin peeling bark
   - birch tree
    
2. Hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
    
3. A switch consisting of a twig or a bundle of twigs from a birch tree; used to hit people as punishment
   "my father never spared the birch";
   - birch rod

1. Consisting of or made of wood of the birch tree
   - birchen [archaic], birken

1. Whip with a birch twig

Derived forms: birches, birched, birching

See also: woody

Type of: flog, lash, lather, slash, strap, switch, tree, trounce, welt, whale [N. Amer, informal], whip, wood

Part of: Betula, genus Betula

Encyclopedia: Birch, Michael