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

It was farmer Dave Matthews who found the skeletal remains of a man who became known as Some Mother's Son while cutting gorse near Tregantle Fort in Cornwall in 1982.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

Thompson added there are "numerous smaller gorse fires going on" across Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

The wild, flat landscapes dotted with gorse and heather are known for their wildlife, including rare species like the sand lizard, woodlark and silver-studded blue butterfly.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2025

I would go out onto the cliffs, with their pine trees and gorse bushes, or down to the beach.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall

Related Words

• scrub
• thicket