Jump To:

• bush
  bush

  noun

  a low plant with many branches that arise from or near the ground.
• Bush
  Bush

  noun

  Barbara Barbara Pierce, 1925–2018, U.S. First Lady 1989–93 (wife of George H. W. Bush and mother of George W. Bush).
• bush.
  bush.

  abbreviation

  bushel; bushels.

bush

¹ American  

[boosh] / bʊʃ /

noun

1. a low plant with many branches that arise from or near the ground.

2. a small cluster of shrubs appearing as a single plant.

3. something resembling or suggesting this, as a thick, shaggy head of hair.

4. Also called bush lot. Canadian. a small, wooded lot, especially a farm lot with trees left standing to provide firewood, fence posts, etc.

5. the tail of a fox; brush.

6. Geography. a stretch of uncultivated land covered with mixed plant growth, bushy vegetation, trees, etc.

7. a large uncleared area thickly covered with mixed plant growth, trees, etc., as a jungle.

8. a large, sparsely populated area most of which is uncleared, as areas of Australia and Alaska.

9. a tree branch hung as a sign before a tavern or vintner's shop.

10. any tavern sign.

11. Slang: Vulgar. pubic hair.

12. Archaic. a wineshop.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to be or become bushy; branch or spread as or like a bush.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover, protect, support, or mark with a bush or bushes.

adjective

1. bush-league.

idioms

1. beat the bushes, to scout or search for persons or things far and wide.

   I've been beating the bushes for a skilled, honest, inexpensive renovator.

2. beat around / about the bush, to avoid coming to the point; delay in approaching a subject directly.

   Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want.

3. go bush,

   1. to flee or escape into the bush.

   2. Slang. to become wild.

bush ² American  

[boosh] / bʊʃ /

noun

1. a lining of metal or the like set into an orifice to guard against wearing by friction, erosion, etc.

2. bushing.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with a bush; line with metal.

Bush ³ American  

[boosh] / bʊʃ /

noun

1. Barbara Barbara Pierce, 1925–2018, U.S. First Lady 1989–93 (wife of George H. W. Bush and mother of George W. Bush).

2. George (Herbert Walker), 1924–2018, U.S. politician: vice president 1981–89; 41st president of the United States 1989–93.

3. George W(alker), born 1946, U.S. businessman and politician: governor of Texas 1994–2001; 43rd president of the United States 2001–09 (son of George H. W. Bush).

4. Laura Laura Lane Welch, born 1946, U.S. First Lady 2001–09 (wife of George W. Bush).

5. Vannevar 1890–1974, U.S. electrical engineer: education and research administrator.

---

bush. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. bushel; bushels.

---

bush ¹ British  

/ bʊʃ /

noun

1. a dense woody plant, smaller than a tree, with many branches arising from the lower part of the stem; shrub

2. a dense cluster of such shrubs; thicket

3. something resembling a bush, esp in density

   a bush of hair

4. 1. an uncultivated or sparsely settled area, esp in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada: usually covered with trees or shrubs, varying from open shrubby country to dense rainforest

   2. ( as modifier )

      bush flies

5. Also called: bush lot, woodlot. an area of land on a farm on which timber is grown and cut

6. a forested area; woodland

7. informal the countryside, as opposed to the city

   out in the bush

8. a fox's tail; brush

9. obsolete

   1. a bunch of ivy hung as a vintner's sign in front of a tavern

   2. any tavern sign

10. to avoid the point at issue; prevaricate

---

adjective

1. informal rough-and-ready

2. informal ignorant or stupid, esp as considered typical of unwesternized rustic life

3. informal unprofessional, unpolished, or second-rate

4. informal

   1. to abandon city amenities and live rough

   2. to run wild

verb

1. (intr) to grow thick and bushy

2. (tr) to cover, decorate, support, etc, with bushes

3. (tr) to camp out in the bush

Bush ² British  

/ bʊʃ /

noun

1. George . born 1924, US Republican politician; vice president of the US (1981–89): 41st president of the US (1989–93)

2. his son, George W ( alker ). born 1946, US Republican politician; 43rd president of the US (2001–09)

---

bush ³ British  

/ bʊʃ /

noun

1. Also called (esp US and Canadian): bushing. a thin metal sleeve or tubular lining serving as a bearing or guide

---

verb

1. to fit a bush to (a casing, bearing, etc)

bush More Idioms  

1. see beat around the bush; beat the bushes for; bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

---

Other Word Forms

• bushless
  adjective
• bushlike
  adjective

---

Etymology

Origin of bush¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English busshe, Old English busc (in placenames); cognate with Dutch bos “wood,” German Busch “bush,” Medieval Latin boscus “wood” (compare French bois, Italian bosco, Portuguese, Spanish bosque ), Old Norse buskr “bush”

Origin of bush²

First recorded in 1560–70; from Middle Dutch bussche; see also box ¹

---

Explanation

A bush is a dense, woody-stemmed plant that grows much shorter and wider than a tree. You might plant a rose bush under your bedroom window. Your yard might be full of bushes of all sorts, from spiky-leafed holly to sweet-smelling gardenia — and you could also call them shrubs. There is also the bush that means "the wilderness" or "the wild country," which is used most often to talk about the Australian outback. This sense of "the middle of nowhere" led to the phrase "bush league," or "unprofessional."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bush Bush bush.

The Joshua tree has been featured in poetry and music and represented a burning bush in the latest episode of “Euphoria.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

She said the group was always on the lookout for new arrivals and had already recorded the willow emerald damselfly, the southern oak bush cricket and the purple emperor butterfly, as more species travelled north.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

Jeez, in my entire career there’s probably never been a worse time to leave work, leave town, leave the country, fly 15 hours into the middle of the bush.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Walking on uneven terrain, such as on grass, gravel or bush trails, can help maintain proprioception.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

We jump from the bush into the darkness, straight into the path of Denny’s motorcycle.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

George W. Bush spent as much time as possible at the West Texas ranch he bought just before assuming the presidency.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

In 2006, readers learned how to properly transport snakes on a plane, and whether George W. Bush was shrinking.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

Bush, disagreed and published a dissenting opinion Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Mr. Bush served as governor of Florida, 1999-2007, and is chairman of United Against Nuclear Iran.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

The most seriously ill were taken by cart to Bush Hill; the dead were placed in coffins and hauled to the graveyards.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

"So we came out in the night hours, we went to the bush. There's a mountain up there, we slept there," said the 31-year-old, his eyes bloodshot.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

"This is winged euonymus, otherwise known as burning bush. And here is Chinese silver grass. It's a popular ornamental, but the seeds are dispersed by the wind," he said.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 1, 2023

“Yeah, I can’t lie. I can’t beat around the bush. This is,” said McLellan, whose contract was extended through the 2024-25 season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

"I’m not going to beat around the bush. Any time a pitcher is in love with his fastball. If he wants to play fire with fire. I love that game."

From Fox News ● Sep. 26, 2021

“Skinny Delivery Boy, you know I never beat around the bush. Yes or no?”

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---