beech

[ beech ]

noun

1. any deciduous tree of the genus Fagus, of temperate regions, having a smooth gray bark and bearing small, edible, triangular nuts.
2. Also called beechwood. the wood from a beech tree of the genus Fagus, including the commonly cultivated European beech.
3. any member of the beech family (Fagaceae).

beech

/ biːtʃ /

noun

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

Derived Forms

• ˈbeechen, adjective

Other Words From

• beech·en adjective
• beech·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of beech¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English beche, Old English bēce, bōce, from Proto-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 “oak,” Albanian bung “oak” (apparently not akin to book )

Word History and Origins

Origin of beech¹

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

Example Sentences

Their study showed that enriching beech forests which naturally have few tree species does not necessarily reduce species richness or ecosystem functioning.

From Science Daily

These could include English oak, beech, silver birch and holly trees, which they say could be vulnerable to warmer temperatures and longer dry spells.

From BBC

Mr Campbell, who was 24, was killed when a 200-year-old beech tree was uprooted and crushed him.

From BBC

The monumental common beech tree grows in an old park in the University of Wroclaw's botanical garden.

From BBC

A new study published in Nature Plants has found that the summer solstice acts as a "starting gun" to synchronise beech tree reproduction across vast distances in Europe, affecting ecosystem functions.

From Science Daily