sagebrush

American  

[seyj-bruhsh] / ˈseɪdʒˌbrʌʃ /

noun

1. any of several sagelike, bushy composite plants of the genus Artemisia, especially A. tridentata, having silvery, wedge-shaped leaves, with three teeth at the tip, common on the dry plains of the western U.S.

---

sagebrush British  

/ ˈseɪdʒˌbrʌʃ /

noun

1. any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia, esp A. tridentata, a shrub of W North America, having silver-green leaves and large clusters of small white flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

---

Etymology

Origin of sagebrush

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; sage ² + brush ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sagebrush

In 2024, the Biden administration added the dunes sagebrush lizard to the endangered species list after years of advocacy from environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity.

From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026

The West had a “foreboding beauty”; wheat fields and orchards gave way to “unforgiving” sagebrush and treeless hills.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Federal officials designated the Montgomery Pass Wild Horse Territory, a remote area spanning sagebrush steppe and pinyon pine forest east of Mono Lake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025

I pass through fragrant California sagebrush and wild fennel in one spot, a blend of sweet pea, lilac and kicked-up dirt in another.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2024

He made a slow circle, broke off a piece of sagebrush, and dropped it on the ground.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck