thicket

noun

thick·​et ˈthi-kət How to pronounce thicket (audio)
1
: a dense growth of shrubbery or small trees : copse
2
: something resembling a thicket in density or impenetrability : tangle
a political thicket
a thicket of reporters
thickety adjective

Examples of thicket in a Sentence

a dense thicket of rosebushes flushed a pheasant from a thicket of willows
Recent Examples on the Web The lush thicket of palm trees enclosing the property extends to the bluff, creating intimacy and privacy set against the great expanse of the ocean. Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 For two friends on Opportunity Street whose homes were taken — Casper and Nicole Stuart — cherished belongings were suddenly ensnared in a thicket of red tape. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 2 Feb. 2024 Brook Hollow Farm, nestled within thickets of forests in the upscale town of Bedford, New York, was first built in 1928, yet features all the modern conveniences today’s buyers might need or want. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Jan. 2024 What then is too much, when a sleight of the rational names plenty as recursion in thickets, absent blaring data and the insects vanish. Alice Gribbin, The New York Review of Books, 2 Nov. 2023 This is a dangerous thicket, and the Roberts Court is attempting to steer the federal courts away from it. Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 14 Feb. 2024 What’s compelling about the play — the catalytic effect Victoria and Glenn have on each other — gets lost in the thicket of the plot. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Its sparse plant life consists of scraggly shrubs and pines, along with thickets of poison oak. Heather Knight, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2023 And Garden-Monheit said the agency is poised to look at other types of patents that may be invalid, which pile up to add to the thicket. Elisabeth Rosenthal, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thicket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English *thikket, from Old English thiccet, from thicce thick

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thicket was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thicket

Cite this Entry

“Thicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thicket. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thicket

noun
thick·​et ˈthik-ət How to pronounce thicket (audio)
1
: a thick usually small patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush
2
: something resembling a thicket in being crowded together or impenetrable
a thicket of fans

More from Merriam-Webster on thicket

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