Bush n. 1.A thicket, or place abounding in trees or shrubs; a wild forest. 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.
2.A shrub; esp., a shrub with branches rising from or near the root; a thick shrub or a cluster of shrubs. "To bind a bush of thorns among sweet-smelling flowers."
3.A shrub cut off, or a shrublike branch of a tree; as, bushes to support pea vines.
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. "If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 't is true that a good play needs no epilogue."
5.(Hunting) The tail, or brush, of a fox.
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 (Potamochoerus 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.
