from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Bush \Bush\ (b[.u]sh), n. [OE. bosch, busch, buysch, bosk, busk;
akin to D. bosch, OHG. busc, G. busch, Icel. b[=u]skr,
b[=u]ski, Dan. busk, Sw. buske, and also to LL. boscus,
buscus, Pr. bosc, It. bosco, Sp. & Pg. bosque, F. bois, OF.
bos. Whether the LL. or G. form is the original is uncertain;
if the LL., it is perh. from the same source as E. box a
case. Cf. {Ambush}, {Boscage}, {Bouquet}, {Box} a case.]
1. A thicket, or place abounding in trees or shrubs; a wild
forest.
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Note: This was the original sense of the word, as in the
Dutch bosch, a wood, and was so used by Chaucer. In
this sense it is extensively used in the British
colonies, especially at the Cape of Good Hope, and also
in Australia and Canada; as, to live or settle in the
bush.
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2. A shrub; esp., a shrub with branches rising from or near
the root; a thick shrub or a cluster of shrubs.
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To bind a bush of thorns among sweet-smelling
flowers. --Gascoigne.
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3. A shrub cut off, or a shrublike branch of a tree; as,
bushes to support pea vines.
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4. A shrub or branch, properly, a branch of ivy (as sacred to
Bacchus), hung out at vintners' doors, or as a tavern
sign; hence, a tavern sign, and symbolically, the tavern
itself.
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If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 't is
true that a good play needs no epilogue. --Shak.
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5. (Hunting) The tail, or brush, of a fox.
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{To beat about the bush}, to approach anything in a
round-about manner, instead of coming directly to it; -- a
metaphor taken from hunting.
{Bush bean} (Bot.), a variety of bean which is low and
requires no support ({Phaseolus vulgaris}, variety nanus).
See {Bean}, 1.
{Bush buck}, or {Bush goat} (Zool.), a beautiful South
African antelope ({Tragelaphus sylvaticus}); -- so called
because found mainly in wooden localities. The name is
also applied to other species.
{Bush cat} (Zool.), the serval. See {Serval}.
{Bush chat} (Zool.), a bird of the genus {Pratincola}, of the
Thrush family.
{Bush dog}. (Zool.) See {Potto}.
{Bush hammer}. See {Bushhammer} in the Vocabulary.
{Bush harrow} (Agric.) See under {Harrow}.
{Bush hog} (Zool.), a South African wild hog
({Potamoch[oe]rus Africanus}); -- called also {bush pig},
and {water hog}.
{Bush master} (Zool.), a venomous snake ({Lachesis mutus}) of
Guinea; -- called also {surucucu}.
{Bush pea} (Bot.), a variety of pea that needs to be bushed.
{Bush shrike} (Zool.), a bird of the genus {Thamnophilus},
and allied genera; -- called also {batarg}. Many species
inhabit tropical America.
{Bush tit} (Zool.), a small bird of the genus {Psaltriparus},
allied to the titmouse. {Psaltriparus minimus} inhabits
California.
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