noun
- punishment by beating with a birch rod or bundle of birch twigs
Usage: historical; formal
Examples
- Birching was once a common form of school discipline.
- The old headmaster believed in birching as a deterrent to misbehavior.
- Historical records show that birching was used in British schools until the mid-20th century.
- The practice of birching has been abolished in most educational institutions.
- Some reformers argued against birching as cruel and ineffective.