Beech

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Beech \Beech\, n.; pl. {Beeches}. [OE. beche, AS. b?ce; akin to
     D. beuk, OHG. buocha, G. buche, Icel. beyki, Dan. b["o]g, Sw.
     bok, Russ. buk, L. fagus, Gr. ? oak, ? to eat, Skr. bhaksh;
     the tree being named originally from the esculent fruit. See
     {Book}, and cf. 7th {Buck}, {Buckwheat}.] (Bot.)
     A tree of the genus {Fagus}.


     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: It grows to a large size, having a smooth bark and
           thick foliage, and bears an edible triangular nut, of
           which swine are fond. The {Fagus sylvatica} is the
           European species, and the {Fagus ferruginea} that of
           America.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Beech drops} (Bot.), a parasitic plant which grows on the
        roots of beeches ({Epiphegus Americana}).
  
     {Beech marten} (Zool.), the stone marten of Europe ({Mustela
        foina}).
  
     {Beech mast}, the nuts of the beech, esp. as they lie under
        the trees, in autumn.
  
     {Beech oil}, oil expressed from the mast or nuts of the beech
        tree.
  
     {Cooper beech}, a variety of the European beech with
        copper-colored, shining leaves.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  beech
       n 1: any of several large deciduous trees with rounded spreading
            crowns and smooth gray bark and small sweet edible
            triangular nuts enclosed in burs; north temperate
            regions [syn: {beech tree}]
       2: wood of any of various beech trees; used for flooring and
          containers and plywood and tool handles [syn: {beechwood}]