bush chat

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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Chat \Chat\, n.
   1. Light, familiar talk; conversation; gossip.
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            Snuff, or fan, supply each pause of chat,
            With singing, laughing, ogling, and all that.
                                                  --Pope.
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   2. (Zool.) A bird of the genus {Icteria}, allied to the
      warblers, in America. The best known species are the
      yellow-breasted chat ({Icteria viridis}), and the
      long-tailed chat ({Icteria longicauda}). In Europe the
      name is given to several birds of the family
      {Saxicolid[ae]}, as the {stonechat}, and {whinchat}.
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   {Bush chat}. (Zool.) See under {Bush}.
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