Dutch rush

noun

1. scouring rush.

Dutch rush

noun

1. Also called: scouring rush. (sometimes not capital) a horsetail, Equisetum hyemale, whose siliceous stems have been used for polishing and scouring pots and pans

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dutch rush¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

In “The Lost Carving” he describes analyzing photographs and singed fragments of the room and learning to sand with bits of a scratchy wetlands plant called Dutch rush.

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E. hyemale, commonly known as the Dutch rush, is much more abundant in Holland than in Britain; it is used for polishing purposes.

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Dutch Rush, Equisētum hyemāle, one of the plants known as horse-tails, with a firm texture and so large an amount of silica in the cuticle that it is employed as a fine sand-paper for polishing delicate woodwork.

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When the colouring is dry, it should be rubbed down with a piece of worn fine glass-paper, and polished with beeswax rubbed on a very hard brush—a worn-out scrubbing-brush is as good as anything—or it can be well rubbed with Dutch rush.

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