: any of a genus (Larix) of northern hemisphere trees of the pine family with short fascicled deciduous leaves
also : the wood of a larch

Illustration of larch

Illustration of larch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Fingers of logging road extend up the Rockies and Selkirks to wilderness, cathedrals of birch, hemlock, cedar, larch. Hazlitt, 15 Sep. 2022 Snetsinger will monitor the larch’s progress over the coming decades. Brendan Borrell, Discover Magazine, 18 July 2011 Even the larch wood planks of their coffins must have been imported to the treeless desert region from hundreds of kilometers away. Byandrew Curry, science.org, 14 Apr. 2023 It's constructed with sustainable Siberian larch wood. goodhousekeeping.com, 11 Apr. 2023 So far, the government’s Icelandic Forest Service and other forestry groups have had success with the country’s native birch as well as foreign trees that can adapt to the country’s frequently wet and windy climate, including Siberian larch, lodgepole pine, and black cottonwood. Sarah Todd, Quartz, 12 July 2022 In contrast, the Russian sediment cores contained pollen from trees such as larch, spruce, fir and hemlock. Julie Brigham-grette And Steve Petsch, Discover Magazine, 30 Sep. 2020 Finally, during the luteal phase (that bloated time between ovulation and your period — oh, the joy), when a rise in acne-causing androgens sets the scene for those Zoom-disrupting pimples, its rebalancing cream contains turmeric oil and larch-tree extract to help with breakouts. Caitlin Kenny, refinery29.com, 7 Sep. 2020 The ratio of two oxygen isotopes in the larch’s cellulose would give Ballantyne a temperature range. Kendall Powell, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2015 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'larch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from German Lärche, from Middle High German lerche, from Latin laric-, larix

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of larch was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near larch

Cite this Entry

“Larch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/larch. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

larch

noun
: any of a genus of trees related to the pines that shed their short needles each fall

Geographical Definition

Larch

geographical name

river 270 miles (434 kilometers) long in western Quebec, Canada, flowing northeast to unite with the Caniapiskau River forming the Koksoak River

More from Merriam-Webster on larch

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