burning bush

American  

noun

1. Bible. a bush that “burned with fire and … was not consumed,” from which an angel spoke to Moses.

2. Also called firebush, summer cypress.  a shrubby plant, Kochia scoparia, of the amaranth family, having dense, feathery foliage that turns red in fall.

3. any of various plants of the genus Euonymus having bright red foliage in autumn.

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burning bush British  

noun

1. a rutaceous shrub, Dictamnus fraxinella , of S Europe and Asia, whose glands release a volatile inflammable oil that can burn without harming the plant: identified as the bush from which God spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2–4)

2. any of several shrubs or trees, esp the wahoo, that have bright red fruits or seeds

3. another name for gas plant

4. any of several plants, esp kochia, with a bright red autumn foliage

5. Old Testament the bush that burned without being consumed, from which God spoke to Moses (Exodus 3:2–4)

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burning bush Cultural  

1. A bush described in the Book of Exodus; God revealed himself to Moses, telling him that he must go to the pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery, and that Moses must also lead them to the Promised Land. This was a miraculous appearance of God, for “the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” God told Moses, speaking out of the bush, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses asked God for his name, “God said unto Moses, ‘I Am That I Am.’”

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Etymology

Origin of burning bush

First recorded in 1775–85 as a plant name

Example Sentences

Mr. Epstein’s distinction between Jew and Jew-ish brings to mind Moses at the burning bush, and his first question to God—Who am I to go to Pharaoh?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Many also believe that this is the place where, according to the Bible and the Quran, God spoke to the prophet from the burning bush.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

The tower’s height prompts comparisons with the Tower of Babel, its blinding light with the burning bush.

From New York Times • Oct. 9, 2022

Why did Moses see God in the flames of a burning bush and the Greeks hear the voice of Zeus in the wind of the sacred oak tree of Dodona?

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2022

The burning bush which Moses saw is not the only bush which flames with God, and seeks to show to us a sign.

From In Times Like These by McClung, Nellie L.