bush

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bushed (b&usdot_;sht); p. pr. & vb. n. Bushing. ] 1. To set bushes for; to support with bushes; as, to bush peas. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To use a bush harrow on (land), for covering seeds sown; to harrow with a bush; as, to bush a piece of land; to bush seeds into the ground. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bosch, busch, buysch, bosk, busk; akin to D. bosch, OHG. busc, G. busch, Icel. būskr, būski, 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A shrub; esp., a shrub with branches rising from or near the root; a thick shrub or a cluster of shrubs. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bind a bush of thorns among sweet-smelling flowers. Gascoigne. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A shrub cut off, or a shrublike branch of a tree; as, bushes to support pea vines. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 't is true that a good play needs no epilogue. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Hunting) The tail, or brush, of a fox. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 (Potamochœrus 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To furnish with a bush, or lining; as, to bush a pivot hole. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To branch thickly in the manner of a bush. “The bushing alders.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. any of several agile long-tailed nocturnal African lemurlike primates of the genus Galago with dense woolly fur and large eyes and ears; -- called also galago. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Bushman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. antelope with white harnesslike markings and twisted horns.
Syn. -- guib, Tragelaphus scriptus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pred. adj. very tired from exertion.
Syn. -- all in(predicate), beat(predicate), dead(predicate), dead tired(predicate), knocked out(predicate). [ WordNet 1.5 ]