beech

[ beech ]
/ bitʃ /

noun

any tree of the genus Fagus, of temperate regions, having a smooth gray bark and bearing small, edible, triangular nuts.
Also called beechwood. the wood of such a tree.
any member of the plant family Fagaceae, characterized by trees and shrubs having alternate, usually toothed or lobed leaves, male flowers in catkins and female flowers either solitary or in clusters and bearing a nut enclosed in a cupule or bur, including the beeches, chestnuts, and oaks.

Origin of beech

before 900; Middle English beche, Old English bēce < Germanic *bōkjōn-; akin to Old Saxon, Middle Low German boke, Dutch beuk, Old High German buohha (German Buche), Old Norse bōk, Latin fāgus beech, Doric Greek phāgós, Albanian bung oak (apparently not akin to book)

OTHER WORDS FROM beech

beech·en, adjective beech·y, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH beech

beach beech

Words nearby beech

bee-eater, bee-stung, beeb, beebe, beebread, beech, beech fern, beech grove, beech marten, beech mast, beecham

Example sentences from the Web for beech

British Dictionary definitions for beech

beech
/ (biːtʃ) /

noun

any N temperate tree of the genus Fagus, esp F. sylvatica of Europe, having smooth greyish bark: family Fagaceae
any tree of the related genus Nothofagus, of temperate Australasia and South America
the hard wood of any of these trees, used in making furniture, etc
See copper beech

Derived forms of beech

beechen or beechy, adjective

Word Origin for beech

Old English bēce; related to Old Norse bók, Old High German buohha, Middle Dutch boeke, Latin fāgus beech, Greek phēgos edible oak