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

Etymology

Origin of gorse

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

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

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

Mr MacLennan said the "challenging" fire spready quickly through gorse and heather on the steep hillside.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025

Thurso Moors, Thurso: Three fire engines were sent to a large area of gorse and heather measuring approximately 250m.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025

Wandering on, they climbed a hill and came to Newtown Common—a country of peat, gorse and silver birch.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• scrub
• thicket