Bush Bush, 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. 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. --Gascoigne. 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. --Shak. 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 (Zo["o]l.), 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 (Zo["o]l.), the serval. See Serval. Bush chat (Zo["o]l.), a bird of the genus Pratincola, of the Thrush family. Bush dog. (Zo["o]l.) See Potto. Bush hammer. See Bushhammer in the Vocabulary. Bush harrow (Agric.) See under Harrow. Bush hog (Zo["o]l.), a South African wild hog (Potamoch[oe]rus Africanus); -- called also bush pig, and water hog. Bush master (Zo["o]l.), a venomous snake (Lachesis mutus) of Guinea; -- called also surucucu. Bush pea (Bot.), a variety of pea that needs to be bushed. Bush shrike (Zo["o]l.), a bird of the genus Thamnophilus, and allied genera; -- called also batarg. Many species inhabit tropical America. Bush tit (Zo["o]l.), a small bird of the genus Psaltriparus, allied to the titmouse. P. minimus inhabits California.
