brush fire

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noun

a fire in an area of bushes, shrubs, or brush, as distinct from a forest fire.

any small but persistent problem, as within a large organization, a department of a government, or between nations: border skirmishes and other international brush fires.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of brush fire

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Other definitions for brush fire (2 of 2)

brush-fire

or brush·fire

[ bruhsh-fahyuhr ]

/ ˈbrʌʃˌfaɪər /

adjective

limited in scope, area, or importance, as some labor disputes or local skirmishes.

Origin of brush-fire

First recorded in 1945–50

How to use brush fire in a sentence

A couple of factors, both internal and environmental, are at play when such rapacious violence spreads like a brushfire.
You, Too, Could Be a Homicidal Zealot|Joel Gold|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They had existed beside us, beneath us rather, flaring up like brushfire since the first humanoids left the trees.
The Extinction Parade: An Original Zombie Story by Max Brooks|Max Brooks|January 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for brush fire

brush fire

noun

a fire in bushes and scrub

a minor local war

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012