Beech (?), n.; pl.
Beeches (?). [OE. beche, AS. b?ce; akin
to D. beuk, OHG. buocha, G. buche, Icel. beyki,
Dan. bög, 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.
☞ 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 F. ferruginea that of
America.
Beech drops (Bot.), a parasitic plant which
grows on the roots of beeches (Epiphegus Americana). --
Beech marten (Zoöl.), 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.