sagebrush

noun

sage·​brush ˈsāj-ˌbrəsh How to pronounce sagebrush (audio)
: any of several North American hoary composite subshrubs (genus Artemisia)
especially : one (A. tridentata) having a bitter juice and an odor resembling sage and often covering vast tracts of alkaline plains in the western U.S.

Examples of sagebrush in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The bullet pierced the cooling fins of the transformer, as intended, causing mineral oil to gush onto the sagebrush. Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023 The state is home to 10 big game species that are found anywhere from the sprawling plains filled with sagebrush to the lush cottonwood river bottoms to the majestic Rockies. Jace Bauserman, Field & Stream, 29 Feb. 2024 In the eyes of the BLM, pinyon pine and juniper trees are weedy species that invade sagebrush rangelands and increase the risk of wildfire. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2024 The Bruneau is a secret canyon in Southwest Idaho’s sagebrush plain, located between 90 and 120 miles southeast of Boise. Pete Zimowsky, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The Black Mountain Open Space is a 2,352-acre park managed by the city of San Diego that is home to critters like rattlesnakes and coyotes as well as plant life like toyon, California sagebrush and prickly pear. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Dec. 2023 Grant chronicles his 142-day adventure in The Last Ride of the Pony Express, a first-person narrative describing his trip across the Great Plains of Nebraska and the sagebrush steppe of Wyoming in the company of his two horses, Badger and Chicken Fry. Laura Kiniry, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2023 Our windows were open to the desert outside, the air all sagebrush and sunburnt dirt. Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2023 Magee Homestead Nestled among sagebrush and meadows in Saratoga, Wyoming, this authentic dude ranch offers rejuvenating experiences for the body and soul and plenty of outdoor adventure. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sagebrush.' 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

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sagebrush was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near sagebrush

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

sagebrush

noun
sage·​brush ˈsāj-ˌbrəsh How to pronounce sagebrush (audio)
: any of several low shrubby North American plants related to the daisies
especially : a common plant with a bitter juice that smells like sage and is widespread on the plains of the western U.S.

More from Merriam-Webster on sagebrush

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