bushman
noun
a woodsman.
bushman
1 American
[boosh-muhn]
/ ˈbʊʃ mən /
noun
-
bushmen
plural
-
a woodsman.
-
Australian. a pioneer; dweller in the bush.
-
(initial capital letter) San.
Bushman
2
American
[boosh-muhn]
/ ˈbʊʃ mən /
noun
Bushman
1
British
/ ˈbʊʃmən /
noun
-
a member of a hunting and gathering people of southern Africa, esp the Kalahari region, typically having leathery yellowish skin, short stature, and prominent buttocks
-
any language of this people, belonging to the Khoisan family
bushman
2
British
/ ˈbʊʃmən /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bushman
1775–85; bush 1 + man, modeled on Afrikaans boschjesman literally, man of the bush
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Phillips, believed to be in his late-30s this year, had been described as an experienced hunter and bushman.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025
Murray's bid for a second grand slam title Down Under has sparked a light-hearted dig at Australia's iconic celluloid hero "Crocodile Dundee", the weathered bushman played by Paul Hogan in the 1986 film.
From Reuters ● Jan. 15, 2013
Surely an Inuit elder or a Kalahari bushman has equal credentials when it comes to describing and passing on a way of life or way of thought to enhance the lives of future generations.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 22, 2012
If you go back and look at bushman art, early cave painting, you see sport being illustrated within those paintings.
From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2010
He was a bushman of varied experience, and he has the credit of originating the system of native police in Queensland.
From Early Days in North Queensland by Edward Palmer
For Kablan Porquet, founder of the Bushman Cafe, a pillar of the economic capital Abidjan's Pan-African cultural scene, Ivory Coast has "made the choice to abandon culture".
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
However, Kjærvik and Bushman said a meta-analytic review on the role of arousal would fill an important gap in understanding how to resolve anger.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2024
“Right away, I could tell, ‘Oh, she doesn’t want anything dumbed down,’” says Bushman, who has been with the New York version of “Chicago” for a decade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
The Chiefs also have Blake Bell on the 53-man roster with Matt Bushman and Gerrit Prince on the practice squad.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 5, 2023
I really thought I was a better Bushman than I am.”
From From Squire to Squatter A Tale of the Old Land and the New by Gordon Stables
Herzog depicts the bushmen who aid Boyes as dignified, diligent and intelligent without romanticizing them while capturing the rugged beauty of the African landscape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
The Namibian bushmen seem pretty impressed with Eddie's virgin fire–making skills, too.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 20, 2013
Just 200 years ago, San bushmen decorated the walls of the Drakensburg mountains with abstract patterns eerily similar to the ones in France and Spain.
From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2012
BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson says the court judgement is a remarkable victory for the bushmen.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2011
Still, the bushmen would not give in, and the soldiers had many a weary time in the trackless forests.
From The White Queen of Okoyong A True Story of Adventure Heroism and Faith by W.P. Livingstone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
