Webster's Unabridged Dictionary

by Various

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)

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

BUSH
Bush, v. i.

Defn: To branch thickly in the manner of a bush. "The bushing alders." Pope.

BUSH
Bush, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bushed (p. pr. & vb.n. Bushing.]

1. To set bushes for; to support with bushes; as, to bush peas.