birchnoun
uk/bɜːtʃ/us/bɝːtʃ/birch noun (TREE)
[ C ] a tree with smooth, often white bark (= outer covering) and thin branches
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Deciduous trees
- acacia
- acer
- alder
- almond
- baobab
- beech
- chestnut
- hazel
- hickory
- horse chestnut
- laburnum
- linden
- magnolia
- mimosa
- myrtle
- silver birch
- spotted gum
- stringybark
- sweet chestnut
- sycamore
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birch noun (PUNISHMENT)
the birch [ S ] UK
an official punishment in the past, that involved hitting a person across the bottom with thin sticks. The thins sticks are also called the birch.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Punishing by causing pain
- cane
- cat-o'-nine-tails
- corporal punishment
- flagellate
- flay
- flog
- kneecap
- lash
- lynch
- lynch law
- mortification
- mortification of the flesh idiom
- rack
- screw
- stone
- tar
- treadmill
- walloping
- whip
- whipping
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birch
verb [ T ] ukusUK
to punish someone with the birch