Definition

Noun: 1. A wild, thorny shrub, especially of the genus Rubus (which includes blackberries and raspberries). It is characterized by its long, arching, prickly stems. 2. Any rough, prickly shrub or vine.

Examples

• We had to push our way through a thick bramble to reach the path.
• Her arms were scratched from picking blackberries in the bramble.
• The old fence was overgrown with bramble and ivy.

Advanced Usage

• "To be caught in/on the brambles": To be physically entangled in thorny bushes. Figuratively, it can mean to be caught in a difficult or complicated situation.
  • The dog ran after the rabbit and got caught in the brambles.
• "A bramble patch": A dense area of these thorny shrubs.
  • The treasure was said to be hidden somewhere in the ancient bramble patch.

Variants and Related Words

• Brambly (adjective): Covered with or full of brambles; resembling a bramble.
  • The brambly undergrowth made hiking difficult.
• Bramble berry (noun): A less common term for the fruit of a bramble, such as a blackberry.
  • She made a pie with fresh bramble berries.

Synonyms

• Thicket: A dense group of bushes or small trees.
• Briar (or brier): A thorny plant, especially a wild rose or a blackberry bush.
• Prickle: A sharp point on a plant; a small thorn.

Related Phrases

• "Bramble bush": Another common way to refer to a bramble, emphasizing its bushy nature.
  • The children built a secret fort behind the bramble bush.

Noun

1. any of various rough thorny shrubs or vines