Birch

n. [A.S. birce, beorce, beorc: Icel. biörk; Sw. björk; Dan. birk; D. berk; O. H. Ger. piricha; M. H. Ger. birche, birke; N. H. Ger. birke; Russ. bereza; Pol. brzoza; Serb. breza; Lith. beržas.] A tree of several species, constituting the genus Betula, as the white or common birch (B. alba); the dwarf birch (B. nana); the paper or canoe birch (B. papyracea). The smaller branches of the common European birch (B. alba), being tough and slender, were formerly much used for rods, especially in schools. “The threatening twigs of birch.” Shak.

Birch of Jamaica, a species of the Pistacia, or turpentine-tree.