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
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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 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

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sweet birch was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“Sweet birch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sweet%20birch. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

Medical Definition

sweet birch

noun
: a common birch (Betula lenta) of the eastern United States with spicy brown bark that yields birch oil

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