bushbush /bʊʃ/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] 
a rose bush The child was hiding in the bushes.2the bush wild country that has not been cleared, especially in Australia or Africa3a bush of hair is a lot of thick untidy hair → beat about the bush at beat1(14)
WORD ORIGINbush
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French bos, bosc ‘wood’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a holly bush
- Gunships made their chattering runs beside us, and door gunners killed bushes.
- I thought it was a damn silly place to park if some one wanted to take a leak in the bushes.
- Some oldmen hid in the bushes and tackled the newmen as a prank.
- The forsythia bushes at the back of the santuario yielded a delicate, sweet scent in the dewy air.
- They lay under a bush near the friendly deer.
Longman Language Activatorto avoid a difficult question or subject
to not talk about a subject or not answer a question, because you do not want to cause embarrassment or problems for yourself: · Try to avoid subjects like sex or religion that might offend people.· Typical politician! He just kept avoiding the question.
to avoid a particular subject or a question because you are trying to hide something: · Steve evaded the question when I asked him why he had left work so early.· The best interviewers make it impossible for politicians to evade the questions.
someone who is evasive tries to avoid answering questions or explaining their plans, because they want to hide something: · When we asked him where his wife was, O'Hare suddenly became evasive.· All their questions were met with vague, evasive answers.
informal to avoid answering a question or talking about a subject, especially by talking about something else instead: · Once again the management dodged the issue of salary increases.· Even if you don't agree with him, you have to admit Senator Connors never ducks a question.· He sidestepped the question, and talked instead about plans for the future.
British /beat around the bush American to avoid talking about the most important detail of something and talk about other details instead, because you are embarrassed, not confident etc: · Don't beat about the bush - get to the point.· If you want to leave, just say so instead of beating around the bush.
to avoid a subject or problem, especially because you are afraid, embarrassed, or do not want to offend other people: · Parents often shy away from discussing sex with their children.
WORD SETSallotment, nounannual, nounarbour, nounaspidistra, nounbackyard, nounbarrow, nounbed, nounbillhook, nounbirdbath, nounblackcurrant, nounbloom, nounbloom, verbblossom, nounblossom, verbbonemeal, nounborder, nounbush, nounbusy Lizzie, nouncamellia, nouncane, nouncarnation, nounchrysanthemum, nounclematis, nounclimber, nouncloche, nouncompost, nouncompost, verbconifer, nounconservatory, nouncornflower, nouncrazy paving, nouncultivate, verbcultivation, nouncutting, noundaffodil, noundahlia, nounedge, verbfertilizer, nounfish meal, nounflower, verbflowerbed, nounflowerpot, nounfoliage, nounforget-me-not, nounfork, nounfork, verbfoxglove, nounframe, noungarden, noungarden, verbgarden centre, noungardener, noungardenia, noungazebo, noungeranium, noungerminate, verbgladiolus, nounglasshouse, noungnome, noungraft, noungraft, verbgrass, noungreenfly, noungreenhouse, noungrowbag, nounGrowbag, nounhardware, nounhardy, adjectivehardy perennial, nounheavy, adjectivehedge, nounheliotrope, nounherbaceous border, nounherbicide, nounhibiscus, nounhoe, nounholly, nounhollyhock, nounhoneysuckle, nounhorticulture, nounhose, nounhosepipe, nounhothouse, nounhouseplant, nounhumus, nounhyacinth, nouninsecticide, nouniris, nounivy, nounjasmine, nounkitchen garden, nounlandscape, verblandscape architect, nounlandscape gardening, nounlawn, nounlawn mower, nounlift, verblilac, nounlily of the valley, nounlop, verblush, adjectivemanicured, adjectivemanure, nounmorning glory, nounmow, verbmower, nounmuck, nounmulch, nounmulch, verbnarcissus, nounnursery, nounnurseryman, nounorangery, nounorganic, adjectiveovergrown, adjectiveox-eye, nounpack, verbparterre, nounpatch, nounpeat, nounpeony, nounpergola, nounpesticide, nounpetunia, nounphlox, nounpink, nounplant, verbplanter, nounplot, nounpoinsettia, nounpot, nounpot, verbpot plant, nounpotted, adjectivepotting shed, nounpropagate, verbpropagator, nounprune, verbrake, nounrake, verbrank, adjectiverockery, nounrock garden, nounrose, nounscion, nounsecateurs, nounseed, verbseedbed, nounset, nounshears, nounsickle, nounsnapdragon, nounsod, nounsoil, nounsow, verbspade, nounsprinkler, nounsweet pea, nounsweet william, nountopdressing, nountopiary, nountrain, verbtransplant, verbtrellis, nountrimmer, nountrowel, nounturf, nounturf, verbuproot, verbvegetable, nounwater butt, nounwatering can, nounweed, verbweedkiller, nounweedy, adjectivewheelbarrow, nounwindow box, nounwisteria, nounyard, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES rose bushes She followed him, pushing through the dense tangle of bushes and branches.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
rose bushes She followed him, pushing through the dense tangle of bushes and branches.· Then there was no sound but the crackle of burning bushes.· The Western sheep and cattle rangers cut down the big trees and put a stop to the burning of bush.· Her hair was loose and hung on her shoulders, a burning bush.· Millie's hair was close to the light over the table; it looked like a burning bush.
· The house was called Lilac Villa, a name no one used, though the front garden contained several ancient gnarled lilac bushes.· A cement foundation of a farmhouse was still standing, and a few moldy lilac bushes shielded the barracks from view.· From the rooftop terrace the Mellors gazed across lilac and bougainvillea bushes to the sea.· This man had stripped her lilac bush!
· Another witness, Alexander McEwen saw the driver lying with his arms twisted around a rose bush.· I thought the rose bushes were beautiful, too.· She did not want a small army camping indefinitely among her flowerbeds and rose bushes.· I only had $ 6, so I bought a rose bush.· I made a picture from the same flowers to show what the rose bushes would yield the following summer.· Essentially, there is no difference between you and the rose bush in your front garden.· Then, a little higher, it surprised them, suddenly unveiling green pasture and rose bushes with delicate pink blossom.
· At first sight the five all appear to live on the same species of grass, herbs, and small bushes.· At the bottom of the plant a few small leaves develop, often forming a small bush.
NOUN· I reached the hilltop and followed the track between gorse bushes ablaze with flowers.· He lay on his stomach on a small mound and parted a dead gorse bush.
· The last one flipped Agnes into a holly bush.· Next step you would think is to go to the garden centre and look for holly bushes with boy and girl names?· The holly bush went to give the cameras a clearer view.· Even in winter there were blood red berries on the holly bushes.
· Harry Kane was about the best of the bush pilots.· Thora Birch and Vincent Kartheiser brave the wilderness after the plane of their bush pilot goes down.
· It galloped towards the boy in silence, swinging a thorn bush from its arm.· He ended up in a thorn bush where he finally managed to break free from his billowing parachute.· A democratic committee of journalists? - a thorn bush for the editor to hide in.· Almost as bad as the thorn bush, Lollo said.· Together they made their way to the patch of thorn bushes which was Sabina's preferred place for drying.· Down below, fires are being lit and the cattle are being driven gently into the enclosures of thorn bushes.· Because if there's a thorn bush around, the ball will land in it.· There is the camel rider of Blunt in the glaring light and the thorn bushes clutching at him with their crooked hands.
· Isn't that why you came here - to experience a bush walk?· Didn't you go for a lovely bush walk to measure timber for the bridge?· They bubbled with enthusiasm, all talking at the same time while raving on about the beauty of the bush walk.
VERB· Don't beat about the bush.· A whole army of Girl Scouts out beating the bush.· Eliot did not beat about the bush.· Neither will beat the bushes for new ways to earn or save money.· She winced at their infelicities, at the clumsy way they beat about the bush.· It was Moua who organized housing for Hmong newcomers, Moua who beat the bushes for jobs.· I am not a person to beat about the bush.· Let us stop beating about the bush.
· They grow into large bushes, then die as the tree canopy closes.· You think that kind of money grows on bushes?· It always breeds in a larval condition, its external gills growing into great branching bushes on either side of its neck.· These berries, plump and sweet, grew on the bushes near the very top of the mountain.
· He fled into the park, because he couldn't look at Emma, and hid behind a bush.· They hid their bags in bushes and jogged into Mount Kisco.· Mrs Browning was bothered, she said, by a man who at night hid in the bushes by her gate.· Investigators said the bomb was hidden in the bushes in front of the two-story building.· For weeks after the robbery my father would hide in the bushes.· Some oldmen hid in the bushes and tackled the newmen as a prank.· She hid in bushes while the fiend ran to the central reservation before losing sight of her and driving off.· You can see if anyone's coming and hide in the bushes.
· Inside, the complex is immaculate, with neatly trimmed shrubs and rose bushes lining each building.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a bird in the hand (is worth two in the bush)
1a plant with many thin branches growing up from the ground: - Don't beat about the bush.
- Eliot did not beat about the bush.
- I am not a person to beat about the bush.
- I meant to be open with him but when it came to it I beat about the bush.
- Let us stop beating about the bush.
- No need to beat about the bush sweetie.
- She winced at their infelicities, at the clumsy way they beat about the bush.
a rose bush The child was hiding in the bushes.2the bush wild country that has not been cleared, especially in Australia or Africa3a bush of hair is a lot of thick untidy hair → beat about the bush at beat1(14)