gorse

American  

[gawrs] / gɔrs /

noun

1. any spiny shrub of the genus Ulex, of the legume family, native to the Old World, especially U. europaeus, having rudimentary leaves and yellow flowers and growing in waste places and sandy soil.

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gorse British  

/ ɡɔːs /

noun

1. Also called: furze, whin. any evergreen shrub of the leguminous genus Ulex, esp the European species U. europeaus, which has yellow flowers and thick green spines instead of leaves

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Other Word Forms

• gorsy
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of gorse

before 900; Middle English gorst, Old English; akin to German Gerste, Latin hordeum barley

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gorse

"I forgot to change the ball and promptly hit it into the gorse, never to be seen again," David said of his first hole-in-one on the fourth hole at the Open Championship venue in Hoylake.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

The birds thrive in lowland heath habitats, nesting in the dense gorse, where they also hunt for spiders and caterpillars.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

Covering 57,000 hectares of peatland, gorse, heathland, and forest, the Mournes stretches from Northern Ireland's tallest mountain Slieve Donard, to the coastline of County Down.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

The law in Northern Ireland states that the burning of vegetation such as heather, gorse, whin or fern may only be carried out between 1 September and 14 April.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

In the middle of a dead gorse bush King Pellinore was sitting, with the tears streaming down his face.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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Related Words

• scrub
• thicket

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