birk

birk

See also: Birk

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɜː(ɹ)k/

• Audio (AU)

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• Homophone: berk
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k

Etymology 1

From Middle English birk, birke, byrke, a northern variant of Middle English birche (“birch”). More at birch.(tree): Cognate with Scots birk.

Noun

birk (plural birks)

1. (Northern England) A birch tree.
   • 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “A Dirge”, in Poems. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon, […], OCLC 1008064829, stanza I, page 56:

     Shadows of the silver birk / Sweep the green that folds thy grave.

2. A Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus, syn. Leuciscus phoxinus).

Noun

birk (plural birks)

1. (Britain, slang) Alternative spelling of berk

References

• birk in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse bjǫrk.

Noun

birk c (singular definite birken, plural indefinite birke)

1. (botany) birch

References

• “birk” in Den Danske Ordbog

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Middle English

Noun

birk

1. Alternative form of birche

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Scots

Alternative forms

• byrk, birke, byrke

Etymology

From Old English birce or bierċe. Cognate with Middle English birch and Northern Middle English birk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛrk/, /ˈbʌrk/
• (Southern Scots) IPA^(key): /ˈbɪrk/

Noun

birk (plural birks)

1. A birch tree.
   • 1792, Robert Burns, The lea-rig:

     Down by the burn where scented birks / Wi' dew are hangin clear, my jo

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Derived terms

• birken
  • birkenshaw