brushwood

noun

brush·​wood ˈbrəsh-ˌwu̇d 

1

: wood of small branches especially when cut or broken

2

: a thicket of shrubs and small trees

Synonyms

• boscage
• boskage
• bosk
• bosque
• bosquet
• brake
• chaparral
• coppice
• copse
• covert
• thicket

Example Sentences

cleared away the brushwood in order to build a shed

Recent Examples on the Web

During one expedition to what was once London, a young scientist, out gathering brushwood, unearths a small vacuum flask, inside which is a handwritten account of life in a small village called Beadle during the days leading up to the lunar catastrophe. —Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2023

Bare dunes were planted with ‘brushwood and windbreaks, perpendicular to wind direction’ so that the dunes do not interfere with the canal system and irrigated farmlands. —Azera Parveen Rahman, Quartz, 27 Oct. 2022

Now German firewood suppliers are buying from Poland, leaving some residents in both countries to collect brushwood. —Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 26 Aug. 2022

To prove it, a model fort wall was built, with a huge pile of brushwood leaning against it. —National Geographic, 3 Mar. 2016

To prove it, a model fort wall was built, with a huge pile of brushwood leaning against it. —National Geographic, 3 Mar. 2016

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

brushwood

noun

brush·​wood ˈbrəsh-ˌwu̇d 

1

: small branches cut from trees or shrubs

2

: a heavy growth of small trees and shrubs