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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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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use brush fire in a sentence

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
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