Stick Vs Branch?

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What's the difference between a stick and a branch?

If I break a branch off a tree, can I call it a stick?

Thanks in advance!
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In my experience, a stick has been refined in some way, great or small. Branches by nature have branches. If you broke off a very small portion, stil having only one or two branches, you'd call it a twig. If the branch is trimmed and cut up for firewood, you'd call it a "stick of wood," or a log, if it were big enough in diameter. You'd continue to call it a branch only if it still has many branches on it, as opposed to "a branch in the road," which might have the shape of a "Y."

If a tree is cut up for building or other useful purposes, a wide, flat piece would be a board, whereas a piece whose non linear dimensions are more or less equal would be called a stick of lumber, if large enough for building purposes, or just a stick if small. Think of "ice cream on a stick," or "walking stick."

Here's a song lyric for you: "Come let's mix where Rockerfellers walk with sticks, or umberellas in their mitts; Puttin' on the Ritz." - Irving Berlin
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I still have some confusion. Would you call a board a plank? In pirates world, boards are called planks like "walk the plank". Is there any difference?
Some definitions are functional. "Boards" are usually around 3/4" thick, and used for "boarding up a house" or making wooden crates. Large structural members, especially ones having a more-or-less square cross-section, might be called "beams." (6 X 6, 8 X 8) "2 X 4's" used for framing walls - installed vertically, are called "two-by-fours." 2 X 6's and 2 X 8's could be called "rafters" (roof) or "joists" (floor) or "planks" when used for walking on, rather than structurally - as in pirate ships.

Re "sticks," round sticks (milled, or machined, rather than natural) as found in "Tinker Toys" (do they still have those?) are called "dowels." "Dowel pins" used to be used in assembling joints in houses or barns in the old days (rather than nails.) - still used in making wooden furniture (more expensive.) Metal dowel pins are used in machinery.

A branch or stick trimmed for applying punishment might be called a switch.
Thanks Avangi for the detailed explanation. There's so many new terms in your post which is good information but I'm afraid I won't be able to remember all of them at once. Interesting facts. Thanks again.
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