birk

See also: Birk

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɜː(ɹ)k/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /bɝk/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k
• Homophones: berk, Bourke, burk, Burke, burke

Etymology 1

From Northern Middle English birk, birke, byrke (“birch”), (southern Middle English birche). 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, 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).

Etymology 2

Noun

birk (plural birks)

1. (British, slang) Alternative spelling of berk.

References

• “birk”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse bjǫrk.

Noun

birk c (singular definite birken, plural indefinite birke)

1. (botany) birch

References

• “birk” in Den Danske Ordbog

Middle English

Noun

birk

1. alternative form of birche

Scots

Alternative forms

• byrk, birke, byrke

Etymology

Inherited from Northern Middle English birke, 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 quotation)

Derived terms

• birken
  • birkenshaw