birch rod
- noun
- NSFW
:
vara de abedul
- In the past, a birch rod was commonly employed for corporal punishment in some cultures.
Examples
-
The teacher used a birch rod as part of the traditional disciplinary methods in the school.
-
He recalled how the birch rod was a symbol of strict discipline in his childhood.
-
This sack also serves as a threat of punishment, for which a birch rod can substitute.
Academic text (1993)
Synonyms
5
8.9
A thin flexible stick used to hit someone as punishment
1
9.9
A bundle of thin twigs used to beat someone as punishment
A flat stick teachers use to hit students' hands or desks
Antonyms
How Severe
- NSFW
8
8.6
- NSFW
- NSFW
5
8.9
642
1.0
5
1.0
136
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'birch' (a type of wood or switch made of birch twigs) combined with 'rod' (a long straight implement) yields a rod made of birch used for striking. This regular noun+noun formation and the material+object logic make the sense inferable to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Birch rod comes from a real object: a bundle of thin birch twigs tied together to make a rod and used to hit pupils or offenders. The sharp, stinging twigs made it a clear image of strict discipline, so birch rod became a name for a tool of 'punishment'.