bush

BUUSH/bʊʃ/

16 meanings of bush

1
shrubnouncountable
A woody plant with many stems, shorter than a tree and usually under six meters tall.
Like a small tree, but with lots of stems instead of one thick trunk.
We planted a small bush beside the front door.
The bush in our yard grew thick with bright green leaves.
Similarshrub
Note
2
nouncountable or uncountablewith the
Wild land far from towns, covered with trees, bushes, and other plants that grow naturally.
Like a huge wild garden that grew on its own, with no one taking care of it.
The trail led us deep into the bush, far from any town.
Wild animals live in the bush where no one has built homes.
Similarwilderness, scrub, backcountry, wilds, brush
Note
3
pubic hairnounslangvulgarcountable
A rude slang word for the hair around a person's private parts, especially a woman's.
He made a crude joke about her bush and got slapped for it.
After the wax, she said her bush was finally gone.
UsageIn polite talk, say pubic hair.
Note
4
nouncountable
A small metal ring or tube fitted into a hole in a machine part. A bushing.
He fitted a new metal bush into the worn hinge.
The old bush had worn thin and needed replacing.
Similarsleeve, liner
Note

Less common meanings

5
low qualityadjectivecolloquial
Done in a poor, amateur way that is not good enough for the top level.
Like a beginner who keeps making silly mistakes in front of the experts.
Showing up late like that is a real bush thing to do.
His cheap tools made the whole job look bush.
UsageSay that's bush or strictly bush.
Similaramateurish, unprofessional, sloppy, shoddy
Oppositeprofessional, classy
Note
6
verbintransitive
To become thick and full, like a plant growing many branches or a tail fluffing out.
Like hair growing thicker and fuller over time.
Prune the rosemary now and it will bush nicely by summer.
The young seedlings bushed up after a few weeks of warm weather.
UsageSay a plant will bush up or bush out.
Similarthicken, spread
7
cut shrubnouncountable
A shrub that has been cut down, or a branch from a tree that looks like a shrub.
We pushed cut bushes into the ground so the peas had something to climb.
The farmer blocked the broken gate with a thorny bush he had cut.
Similarbranch
Note
8
bad sportsmanshipnoununcountable
Behavior that is unskilled or unfair, not good enough for real pros.
Like breaking the rules on purpose instead of playing fair.
Faking a foul just to win the point is pure bush.
Kicking the ball away after the whistle is bush, and the fans know it.
Similaramateurism
Oppositesportsmanship
Note
9
farm woodlandnounCanadacountable or uncountable
A small area of trees that is part of a farm.
They cut firewood from the bush behind the barn each fall.
The kids built a fort in the bush at the far end of their dad's cornfield.
Similarwoodlot, woods, copse
Note
10
toward the outbackadverbAustralia
Toward the wild country far away from towns.
Like heading far out into the wild, away from any town.
After the harvest, the workers headed bush for a few weeks.
He packed his gear and went bush to get away from the city.
UsageSay go bush or head bush, with no to.
Similarinland
11
line a holeverbtransitive
To fit a part with a metal lining that protects it from wear.
Like putting a metal sleeve inside a hole so it doesn't wear out.
The mechanic bushed the worn hinge before putting it back together.
You can bush the loose bearing to stop the shaft from wobbling.
UsageYou bush a hole or a part, not the metal lining itself.
Similarline, sleeve
12
gun vent plugnouncountable
A copper plug fitted into a gun, with a small hole drilled through it.
Like a replaceable metal plug that takes the wear so the gun lasts longer.
Workers fitted a copper bush into the old gun before drilling its vent.
A new copper bush was screwed into the breech to carry the vent.
13
nounhistoricalcountable
In the past, a branch hung outside a place selling wine as a sign, or the place itself.
A fresh bush of ivy hung above the door to show the new wine was ready.
"Well," replied Lady Mary, "who is to know where good wine is sold, unless you hang out the bush."
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel ChurchillHere, the bush means a branch hung outside as a sign that wine is sold.
UsageToday mostly in the saying good wine needs no bush.
Note
14
nounrare
The thick, furry tail of a fox.
15
verbdated
To prop up growing plants using twiggy branches.
16
verb
To drag a leafy branch over sown land so that soil covers the seeds.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 6–7, 13

Probably from an Old English word that was never written down on its own, though it may appear in some old place names. It goes back to older Germanic words meaning 'bush' or 'thicket'.

Meanings 2, 9–10

Probably from older Dutch bosch ('wood, forest'). In the Dutch colonies it meant an uncleared area, and British colonies may then have borrowed it as 'bush'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Dutch bosch is an older form meaning 'wood, forest'. en.wiktionary.org
In Dutch colonies, bosch denoted uncleared land. en.wikipedia.org

Meanings 5, 8

A back-formation from 'bush league'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

Bush is a back-formation from 'bush league'. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 4, 11–12

From Middle Dutch busse, meaning 'box' or 'wheel bushing'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

The mechanical noun bush comes from Middle Dutch busse. en.wiktionary.org
Middle Dutch busse meant box or wheel bushing. en.wiktionary.org