-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
sweet birch
noun
: a common aromatic birch (Betula lenta) of eastern North America that has shiny brown bark when young, hard dark-colored wood, and a volatile oil in its bark resembling wintergreen
called also black birch
Examples of sweet birch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In addition to oaks, other trees that top the list include American plum, black cherry, chokecherry, river birch, sweet birch, bitternut hickory and Eastern white pine.
—Jennifer Rude Klett, Journal Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2022
Wintergreen and sweet birch: These contain salicylates (aspirin compounds) and can cause vomiting and stomach ulcers. Cinnamon, anise, and chamomile: These all contain coumarins, compounds that are used in rat poison and blood thinners.
—Bonnie Darves, SELF, 28 July 2021
Or register for The Trees of Prospect Park, a virtual journey: Today at 11 a.m., the forest ecologist Howard Goldstein will introduce sites including the Lullwater Cove and the Butterfly Meadow, and species like the Northern red oak and sweet birch.
—New York Times, 22 Apr. 2020
Among the essential oils that are toxic to pets are cinnamon, citrus, lemon, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree, thyme, wintergreen and ylang ylang.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, sacbee, 17 Jan. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sweet birch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1785, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sweet birch
Cite this Entry
“Sweet birch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet%20birch. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Medical Definition
sweet birch
noun
: a common birch (Betula lenta) of the eastern United States with spicy brown bark that yields birch oil
More from Merriam-Webster on sweet birch
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sweet birch
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share