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) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
beech
n 1: any of several large deciduous trees with rounded spreading
crowns and smooth grey bark and small sweet edible
triangular nuts enclosed in burs; north temperate regions
[syn: {beech}, {beech tree}]
2: wood of any of various beech trees; used for flooring and
containers and plywood and tool handles [syn: {beech},
{beechwood}]
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