bulrush

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English

Bulrushes

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English bulrish, perhaps from bule (“bull”) (in the sense of "large") plus rish (“rush”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbʊlɹʌʃ/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: bul‧rush

Noun

bulrush (plural bulrushes)

  1. (biblical) A plant referred to in the story of Moses as growing along the banks of the Nile, which is believed to be the papyrus (Cyperus papyrus).
  2. Any of various tall, narrow-leaved plants growing near water, especially cattail or reedmace, in the genus Typha.
  3. (Americas) Sedges in the genera Bolboschoenus or Schoenoplectus (formerly considered Scirpus), having clusters of spikelets.
  4. (Australia) Any of various reed-like plants growing near water, especially Typha domingensis and Typha orientalis; cumbungi, wonga. [from 18th c.]
    • 2018, Bruce Pascoe, Dark Emu, Scribe, published 2020, page 56:
      Explorers Eyre, Kreft, and George Moore all refer to the importance of bulrush starch in different parts of the continent.

Derived terms

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Further reading

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