sweet birch

sweet birch
a North American tree, Betula lenta, having smooth, blackish bark and twigs that are a source of methyl salicylate. Also called black birch, cherry birch.
[1775-85, Amer.]

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▪ tree
also called  black birch , cherry birch , and  red birch 
 North American ornamental and timber tree in the family Betulaceae. Usually about 18 m (60 feet) tall, the tree may reach 24 m or more in the southern Appalachians; on poor soil it may be stunted and shrublike.

      The smooth, shiny, nonpeeling outer bark, red brown on younger stems, is almost black on older trunks and deeply furrowed into irregular scales. The twigs and inner bark smell and taste like wintergreen.

      The hard, close-grained wood is similar to that of yellow birch but denser and of deeper colour; both are used for veneer, flooring, furniture, doors, plywood, and vehicle parts. Sweet birch is a source of birch oil, formerly a substitute for oil of wintergreen. Birch beer is made from the sap.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • sweet birch — n a common birch (Betula lenta) of the eastern U.S. with spicy brown bark that yields birch oil …   Medical dictionary

  • sweet birch — sweet′ birch′ n. bot (boi pln) a North American birch, Betula lenta, having smooth, blackish bark and twigs that are a source of methyl salicylate Also called cherry birch • Etymology: 1775–85, amer …   From formal English to slang

  • sweet birch — noun common birch of the eastern United States having spicy brown bark yielding a volatile oil and hard dark wood used for furniture • Syn: ↑cherry birch, ↑black birch, ↑Betula lenta • Hypernyms: ↑birch, ↑birch tree • Member Holonyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • sweet birch — kvapusis beržas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Beržinių šeimos dekoratyvinis, medieninis, prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Betula lenta), paplitęs Šiaurės Amerikoje. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai gėrimams). atitikmenys: lot.… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • sweet-birch oil — n BIRCH OIL …   Medical dictionary

  • sweet birch — noun A tree of the species Betula lenta, with a dark bark resembling a cherry trees and an aromatic bark and sap used for birch beer. Syn: black birch, cherry birch …   Wiktionary

  • sweet birch — noun Date: 1785 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 …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sweet-birch oil — noun a liquid ester with a strong odor of wintergreen; applied externally for minor muscle and joint pain • Syn: ↑methyl salicylate, ↑birch oil • Hypernyms: ↑salicylate • Substance Holonyms: ↑wintergreen oil, ↑oil of wintergre …   Useful english dictionary

  • sweet birch oil. — See methyl salicylate. * * * …   Universalium

  • sweet birch oil — methyl salicylate …   Medical dictionary

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