bulrush

views updated May 21 2018

bul·rush / ˈboŏlˌrəsh/ (also bull·rush) • n. 1. another term for cattail. 2. a tall rushlike water plant (Scirpus lacustris) of the sedge family. Native to temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, it is used for weaving and is grown as an aid to water purification. 3. (in biblical use) a papyrus plant.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

bulrush

views updated May 29 2018

bulrush Grass-like plant of the sedge family, found in marshes or beside water in Europe, Africa and North America. The common British bulrush (reed mace), Typha latifolia, reaches 1.8–2.1m (6–7ft) and bears both male and female flowers. Family Cyperaceae.

World Encyclopedia

bulrush

views updated May 11 2018

bulrush XV. perh. f. BULL1 (as later used in BULLFINCH1, bull-frog, in the sense ‘large’ or ‘coarse’) + RUSH1.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

bulrush

views updated May 21 2018

bulrush A wild plant common in ponds and marshes (correctly the false bulrush or common reedmace, Typha latifolia). The young sprouts and shoots can be eaten in salads, the pollen is used as a flavouring, and the roots and unripe flower heads may be boiled as a vegetable.

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition DAVID A. BENDER