Bush

/bʊʃ/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase2 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A shrub or clump of shrubs with stems of moderate length.

/bʊʃ/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A low shrub with many branches.

The cat hid in the bush.

💡 Simply: A small plant with many branches.

More Examples

2

We walked through a dense bush.

How It's Used

Gardening

"He pruned the rose bush."

Nature

"The birds nested in the bushes."

2

The Australian wilderness, especially the uncultivated inland regions.

/bʊʃ/

nounneutralIntermediate
General

Informal term for the Australian outback.

The outback bush is vast and unforgiving.

💡 Simply: The wild areas of Australia.

How It's Used

Australian English

"They went on a trip to the Australian bush."

Tip:Think of the vast, wild landscape.

Idioms & expressions

beat around the bush

To avoid saying something directly

"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened."

From Middle English *busshe, from Old English *bysce, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bos and German Busch.

The word 'bush' has long been associated with untamed wilderness, reflecting its historical use in describing the relatively undeveloped parts of various countries.

Memory tip

Think of a bushy tail on an animal.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"A shrub or tree."

Base: bush
dense bushrose bushbeat around the bush

Common misspellings

bushebushh

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written