[bəːtʃ], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a slender hardy tree which has thin peeling bark and bears catkins. Birch trees grow chiefly in northern temperate regions and yield hard, pale, fine-grained timber

- a formal punishment in which a person is flogged with a bundle of birch twigs
(e.g: there were calls to bring back the birch)


Phrases:

Origin:
Old English bierce, birce, of Germanic origin; related to German Birke

[bəːtʃ], (Verb)

Definitions:
- beat (someone) with a bundle of birch twigs as a formal punishment
(e.g: the school would attempt to birch them into submission)


Phrases:

Origin:
Old English bierce, birce, of Germanic origin; related to German Birke