larch

noun

ˈlärch 

: any of a genus (Larix) of northern hemisphere trees of the pine family with short fascicled deciduous leaves

also : the wood of a larch

Illustration of larch

Examples of larch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, maple trees feature orange and red leaves, while quaking aspen and larch trees have yellow leaves. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2024

Eastern larch, or tamarack, is a larch variety found in wetter parts of Michigan. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 24 Oct. 2024

Correspondent Conor Knighton travels to where foliage fans bask in the vibrant colors of the larch tree, a deciduous conifer whose pine-like needles are ablaze in orange and yellow. —David Morgan, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2024

Grizzlies, lynx, and wolverines sniff and scratch through 800-year-old larch and some of the largest western hemlock, western red cedar, and Engelmann spruce in the valley. —Laura Yale, Outside Online, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from German Lärche, from Middle High German lerche, from Latin laric-, larix

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

larch

noun

ˈlärch 

: any of a genus of trees related to the pines that shed their short needles each fall

Geographical Definition

Larch

geographical name

ˈlärch 

river 270 miles (434 kilometers) long in western Quebec, Canada, flowing northeast to unite with the Caniapiskau River forming the Koksoak River