bushwhacker

[ boosh-hwak-er, -wak-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that bushwhacks.
2. (in the American Civil War) a guerrilla, especially a Confederate.
3. any guerrilla or outlaw.
4. Australian Slang. an unsophisticated person; hick.

bushwhacker

/ ˈbʊʃˌwækə /

noun

1. a person who travels around or lives in thinly populated woodlands
2. informal.
   an unsophisticated person; boor
3. a Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War
4. any guerrilla
5. a person who works in the bush, esp at timber felling

Other Words From

• bushwhacking noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bushwhacker¹

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; bush ¹ + whacker ( def )

Related Words

• aggressor
• mugger