scouring rush

noun

1. any of certain horsetails, especially Equisetum hyemale, used for scouring and polishing.

scouring rush

noun

1. any of several horsetails, esp Equisetum hyemale, that have rough-ridged stems and were formerly used for scouring and polishing

Word History and Origins

Origin of scouring rush¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Veterinarian Dan Harmer tells The Salt Lake Tribune the horses at the farm in Wellington ate equisetum, also known as horsetail or scouring rush.

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Just know that if you plant the scouring rush or horsetail — Equisetum — it is forever.

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Other pieces in the collection included samples from wild plums, chokecherries, hackberries, a primrose and one without flowers, leaves or seeds known to pioneers as scouring rush.

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The giant scouring rushes, or horsetails, had the same general characteristics as the little reed-like plants we know by those names to-day.

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The ingestion of certain plants as sedges and scouring rushes is also said to cause a bloody condition; madders impart a reddish tinge due to coloring matter absorbed.

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