Definitions

1. noun

A deciduous tree with slender branches and white, papery bark, or a person or thing likened to this.

“The park was lined with birch trees, their white trunks gleaming in the sunlight.”

2. verb

To cut or shape something, especially a tree, with a billhook or a curved knife.

“The forester had to birch the branches to create firewood for the winter.”

3. verb

To punish or beat someone severely, especially with a birch rod.

“The old-fashioned teacher was known to birch naughty students.”