bush
bush — noun
1. a short woody plant whose many thin branches spread outward from near the soil,
a short woody plant whose many thin branches spread outward from near the soil, so the whole thing looks like a low, rounded clump rather than a tree with a single trunk.
Maya planted a row of rose bushes along the back fence.
noun + bush compound: rose bush
A small brown rabbit hopped out from behind the bush.
Mr. Patel trims the holly bushes in his garden every spring.
The children hid behind a thick bush during the game of hide-and-seek.
Berries grow on this bush in late summer.
用法筆記
Often forms compounds naming the plant: rose bush, berry bush, holly bush. Distinguish from a tree (single tall trunk) and from a hedge (a row of bushes planted as a wall).
常見錯誤
2. wild, empty country far from towns, especially in Australia, New Zealand, or par
wild, empty country far from towns, especially in Australia, New Zealand, or parts of Africa, where the land has never been farmed and is covered with low trees, scrub, or rough plants.
Lina grew up on a sheep farm deep in the Australian bush.
fixed phrase: the Australian bush
The pilot landed his small plane on a dusty strip out in the bush.
preposition: in the bush
Three hikers got lost in the New Zealand bush for two nights before rescuers found them.
Carlos worked as a guide leading tourists through the African bush.
Life in the bush means long drives to the nearest shop or doctor.
- outback
specifically the dry, remote inland of Australia
- wilderness
wider term, used worldwide; not tied to any region
- city
the opposite kind of human settlement
文法句型
the bush
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'the' (in the bush, out in the bush). Country-specific: it suggests wild Australian, New Zealand, or African landscape, not the wilderness of, say, North America (which would be 'the wilderness' or 'the backcountry').
常見錯誤
3. a thick, fluffy mass of hair, fur, or similar material that sticks out around so
a thick, fluffy mass of hair, fur, or similar material that sticks out around someone's head or another part of the body, looking somewhat like a small shrub.
Marcus had a wild bush of curly red hair.
pattern: a bush of [hair]
The squirrel flicked its long bush of a tail and ran up the oak.
Grandpa's eyebrows had grown into two grey bushes above his eyes.
Sofia tied back the huge bush of hair that fell over her shoulders.
文法句型
a bush of [hair/fur/something soft]
用法筆記
Use this sense for a metaphorical comparison only: the hair or fur must be visibly thick, full, and round. Don't apply to neat or short hair. Distinguish from sense 4 (specifically pubic hair).
常見錯誤
4. an informal and somewhat indelicate word for the hair that grows around a person
an informal and somewhat indelicate word for the hair that grows around a person's genitals, more often used to refer to a woman's.
Maya talked with her doctor about how to trim her bush comfortably before swimsuit season.
intimate context: trim + bush
The magazine ran a frank article on whether women should keep or remove their bush.
Sofia's older sister gave her tips for keeping her bush neat as a teenager.
Sofia's stand-up routine about waxing her bush had the audience laughing all night.
- pubic hair
neutral, formal medical term
用法筆記
Slang and intimate; restricted to informal contexts such as comedy, magazine articles, or close conversation. Avoid in formal writing, where 'pubic hair' is the neutral term.
常見錯誤
bush — verb
1. in farming and gardening, to push branches or twigs into the soil around young p
in farming and gardening, to push branches or twigs into the soil around young plants so that the new shoots have something to lean on, or to mark a row, or to keep birds away.
Old gardeners still bush their pea rows with twigs cut from the hedge.
agricultural register: bush + crop rows
Mr. Tanaka bushed the seedbed with thin sticks to scare crows away from the new wheat.
The farmer taught his daughter how to bush young pea plants with hazel branches.
We bushed the strawberry beds last spring to keep birds off the ripe fruit.
- stake
to support a plant with a single upright stick rather than twigs
文法句型
bush + [object]
用法筆記
Highly specialised farming and traditional gardening verb; rarely heard outside that domain. Object is usually a crop row, seedbed, or young plant. Not the same as 'brush'.
常見錯誤
2. to spread sideways with many leaves, branches, or strands and so take on the rou
to spread sideways with many leaves, branches, or strands and so take on the rounded, fluffy shape of a shrub.
The young basil plants began to bush out after Lina pinched off the top leaves.
common pattern: bush out
Maya's ponytail bushed out in the humid air on the walk home from school.
If you trim the rosemary often, it will bush out into a thick, low cushion.
The fox's tail bushed up when the dog barked at it from across the road.
- spread out
more general; doesn't suggest a rounded shape
- branch out
stresses the splitting into branches rather than the rounded result
- thin out
to become less full and dense
文法句型
bush out
bush + [adverb]
用法筆記
Almost always paired with an adverb such as 'out' or 'up'. Subject is something with many small parts (plant, hair, fur, feathers). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is intransitive (the plant bushes), while sense 1 is transitive (a person bushes the rows).
常見錯誤
bush — adjective
1. describing a plant variety bred to stay short and compact, with many side branch
describing a plant variety bred to stay short and compact, with many side branches close to the ground, instead of climbing or growing tall.
Bush tomatoes grow well on a small balcony because they don't need a tall cane.
compound: bush + plant name
Mrs. Lopez chose a bush variety of green beans for her raised garden bed.
Bush roses are easier for beginners than tall climbing roses.
The seed packet said these were bush cucumbers, perfect for pots on the patio.
文法句型
bush + [plant variety]
用法筆記
Only used before a plant name (bush tomato, bush bean, bush rose). The marked contrast is with 'climbing', 'pole', or 'standard' varieties of the same plant. Don't use after a verb: a tomato is 'a bush variety', not '*the tomato is bush'.
常見錯誤
2. found in, used for, or having to do with the wild Australian or New Zealand coun
found in, used for, or having to do with the wild Australian or New Zealand countryside (see noun sense 2), such as the people, animals, tracks, or skills of that region.
Lina took a bush walk through the gum trees behind her grandmother's house.
compound: bush + activity noun
Old bush tracks wind for miles between the small farming towns.
Mr. Henderson kept his bush hat on the hook by the back door.
The school taught the children basic bush skills, like reading the sky and finding water.
- urban
of cities and towns
用法筆記
Used before a noun and tied to the noun-sense-2 region (Australia, New Zealand, parts of Africa). Common compounds: bush walk, bush track, bush fire, bush hat, bush skills, bush tucker. Distinguish from adj-1 (about plant shape) and adj-3 (informal: low quality).
常見錯誤
3. judged to be amateur, clumsy, or below the standard expected of real professiona
judged to be amateur, clumsy, or below the standard expected of real professionals, often in a way that is mildly insulting; especially common in the fixed phrase 'bush league'.
Cheating at a friendly card game is just a bush move, Marcus.
fixed phrase: a bush move
The reporter called the team's behaviour after the loss totally bush league.
fixed phrase: bush league
Sofia thought the whole event was a bush operation run on tiny budgets.
Refusing to shake the winner's hand was a bush league thing to do.
- amateur
more neutral; describes a non-professional, not necessarily an insult
- second-rate
general low-quality term, not tied to sports slang
- professional
skilled and meeting full standards
- first-class
of the highest possible quality
文法句型
bush league
用法筆記
Mostly North American slang, with sporting roots (originally about minor-league baseball played in country towns). Almost always negative. Most common as the fixed phrase 'bush league'. Distinguish from adj-2 (geographic: of the bush): an Australian 'bush hat' is not low quality.