scouring rush

American  

noun

1. any of certain horsetails, especially Equisetum hyemale, used for scouring and polishing.

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scouring rush British  

noun

1. any of several horsetails, esp Equisetum hyemale, that have rough-ridged stems and were formerly used for scouring and polishing

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Etymology

Origin of scouring rush

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Veterinarian Dan Harmer tells The Salt Lake Tribune the horses at the farm in Wellington ate equisetum, also known as horsetail or scouring rush.

From Seattle Times

Just know that if you plant the scouring rush or horsetail — Equisetum — it is forever.

From Washington Post

Other pieces in the collection included samples from wild plums, chokecherries, hackberries, a primrose and one without flowers, leaves or seeds known to pioneers as scouring rush.

From Washington Times

The giant scouring rushes, or horsetails, had the same general characteristics as the little reed-like plants we know by those names to-day.

From Project Gutenberg

The ingestion of certain plants as sedges and scouring rushes is also said to cause a bloody condition; madders impart a reddish tinge due to coloring matter absorbed.

From Project Gutenberg