beech
n. C / Un. a large forest tree with smooth, grey bark and small nuts. It is common in many parts of the world and is often used for making furniture.
n. a large deciduous tree of the genus Fagus, characterised by smooth silvery-grey bark and small edible nuts known as mast. Refers to both the living organism and the hard, pale timber it produces.
The old beech tree provides plenty of shade in the garden.
The forest floor was covered in a thick layer of copper-coloured leaves from the surrounding beech trees.
Artisans often prefer beech for kitchenware because the wood is hard, heavy, and lacks a strong odour or taste that could transfer to food.
From Middle English beche, from Old English bēċe, from Proto-West Germanic *bōkijā (“beech”). Doublet of buky. Related to English book.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Uncountable when referring to the wood as a material; countable when referring to the tree species or individual trees.
Last updated May 7, 2026