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.

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Also called grease·bush

[grees-boo sh] /ˈgrisˌbʊʃ/.

Origin of greasewood

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

Words nearby greasewood

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences 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