underbrush

noun

un·​der·​brush ˈən-dər-ˌbrəsh How to pronounce underbrush (audio)
1
: shrubs, bushes, or small trees growing beneath large trees in a wood or forest : brush
2
: a tangled, obstructing, or impeding mass

Examples of underbrush in a Sentence

We made our way through the thick underbrush.
Recent Examples on the Web Many scents stick out in my mind and are part of my life, such as my childhood garden in Normandy and the Corsican underbrush, which gave me my first olfactory shock. Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 The goats are being housed at the Crystal Canyon Natural Area to clear invasive plants and underbrush from the area. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024 Goats like Wynonna are an environmentally sustainable way to get rid of underbrush and turn it into fertilizer. Candi Bolden, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Feb. 2024 The joke sprang from the underbrush, inadvertently poignant. Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024 Story continues below advertisement Its brittle underbrush has fueled vicious forest fires. Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024 Invader rummaged in the underbrush, trying to find a pair of polypropylene supermarket totes, filled with supplies, that Mr. Blue had tossed out of the van on an earlier run past the site. Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 One sunny fall afternoon, Ms. Walker spotted a few in the forest underbrush. Jacey Fortin Mike Belleme, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023 Lightning strikes can ignite leaf litter on the forest floor, clearing out the underbrush without killing the trees. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 12 Feb. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underbrush was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near underbrush

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

underbrush

noun
un·​der·​brush ˈən-dər-ˌbrəsh How to pronounce underbrush (audio)
: shrubs and small trees growing among large trees : undergrowth

More from Merriam-Webster on underbrush

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