white birch

noun

|Updated on: 22 Jul 2018

Definition of white birch

1 : paper birch; also : gray birch

2 : either of two Eurasian birches (Betula pubescens and B. pendula) with white or ash-colored bark that are often planted as ornamentals in the U.S.

Recent Examples of white birch from the Web

In May, Alaska Airlines said travelers on its flights would be served drinks with compostable versions of stir straws and citrus picks: white birch for coffee and bamboo for citrus sticks.

— CBS News, "Starbucks plans to stop offering plastic straws by 2020," 9 July 2018
Jesup Path has a boardwalk that flows through a white birch forest, and Thunder Hole has a ramp from the Park Loop Road that leads to the main viewing area.

— samantha lefave, Outside Online, "The Best National Parks for Those with Disabilities," 1 July 2018
As of next month Alaska Airlines, which used 22 million plastic stir straws and citrus picks each year, now plans to use stir straws made from white birch and citrus picks made of bamboo.

— tara bahrampour, ajc, "How a Girl Scout got companies to cut down on using millions of plastic straws," 22 June 2018
Alaska Airlines will begin replacing plastic stirring sticks on its flights and frequent-flier lounges with compost-able versions made of white birch.

— nancy trejos, USA TODAY, "The travel industry goes green: Plastic straws are no longer welcome," 31 May 2018
The airline will replace the plastic utensils with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, white birch stir sticks and a bamboo alternative for the citrus picks; non-plastic, marine-safe straws will be available upon request.

— katherine lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Alaska Airlines Ditches Plastic Straws on All Flights," 21 May 2018
Starting this summer, all Alaska Airlines flights will replace the straws, stirrers and toothpicks with sustainable, marine-friendly options, including white birch and bamboo.

— chris morris, Fortune, "Girl Scout Convinces Alaska Airlines to Bump Plastic Straws Off All Flights," 21 May 2018
The sloping terrain on all sides was covered by trees, including white oak, aspen, white pine and white birch.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Trout ponds of Washburn County offer solitude and splendor," 16 Dec. 2017
With its cobalt lakes and forests of oak, maple, and white birch, the town feels a world away from Helsinki.

— gisela williams, Smithsonian, "How This Tiny Town Drew World-Class Artists Into the Forests of Finland," 10 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'white birch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.