greasewood

[ grees-woo d ]

/ ˈgrisˌwʊd /

noun

a shrub, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, of the amaranth family, growing in alkaline regions of the western U.S., containing a small amount of oil.

any of various similar shrubs.

white sage(def 1).

Western U.S. mesquite.

Nearby words

grease the wheels, greaseball, greasepaint, greaseproof paper, greaser, greasewood, greasies, greasy, greasy spoon, greasy wool, great

Origin of greasewood

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; grease + wood¹

Also called grease·bush

[grees-boo sh] /ˈgrisˌbʊʃ/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for greasewood

Of course it worked toward the low place where grew the greasewood bush.
Johnny Bear|E. T. Seton
These were further screened by occasional willows or greasewood growing on the banks.
The Killer|Stewart Edward White
The plants cover extensive reaches of valley and hill-slopes, and are often called "greasewood."
The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits|Mary Elizabeth Parsons
There was no trail, and a road had to be cut through the greasewood and sage brush.
The Story of the Mormons|William Alexander Linn

Cotton-tails huddled beneath the greasewood brush and nibbled at the grasses.
Overland Red|Henry Herbert Knibbs

British Dictionary definitions for greasewood

greasewood

greasebush (ˈɡriːsˌbʊʃ)

/ (ˈɡriːsˌwʊd) /

noun

Also called: chico a spiny chenopodiaceous shrub, Sarcobatus vermiculatus of W North America, that yields an oil used as a fuel

any of various similar or related plants, such as the creosote bush

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012