Birch has 8 different meanings across 4 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Proper Noun
hard close-grained wood of any of various birch trees; used especially in furniture and interior finishes and plywood
"The cabinetmaker selected a solid piece of birch for the kitchen tables to ensure durability and a smooth finish."
any betulaceous tree or shrub of the genus Betula having a thin peeling bark
"The old birch stood alone in the forest, its distinctive trunk covered in thin, papery bark that peeled away in horizontal strips."
Any of various trees of the genus Betula, native to countries in the Northern Hemisphere.
"The forester identified the white bark as a sign that the tree was indeed a birch native to the northern hemisphere."
In plain English: A birch is a type of tree with thin, peeling bark that often grows in cold climates.
"The park was lined with tall birch trees that had white bark and silver leaves."
Usage: As a noun, "birch" refers specifically to any tree belonging to the Betula genus found across the Northern Hemisphere. When used as a verb, it describes the act of punishing someone with a stick or bundle made from this specific type of wood.
whip with a birch twig
"The teacher warned that any student caught cheating would be punished by being made to stand outside and have their hands pinched with a birch."
to punish with a stick, bundle of twigs, or rod made of birch wood.
"The teacher had to discipline the student by birching him with a thin wooden rod after he broke the classroom windows."
In plain English: To birch something means to hit it with a thin branch as punishment, though people rarely do this anymore since hitting someone is illegal and cruel.
"The teacher decided to give the student extra homework instead of birching him with a ruler for being late."
A surname.
"Mr. Birch joined the committee as its new chairperson."
The word "birch" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰerHǵós and traveled through Old English into Middle English with its original meaning intact. It is related to similar words in many other languages, including German Birke and Russian берёза (berjóza).