Definition

1. Noun:
   • A dweller in the Australian bush country: A person, especially a settler or pioneer, who lives in the remote, uncultivated areas (the bush) of Australia.
   • A member of the race of nomadic hunters and gatherers who live in southern Africa: A member of the indigenous San people of southern Africa, traditionally living as nomadic hunter-gatherers. (Note: 'San' is now often preferred as a more accurate and respectful term.)

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old bushman knew every waterhole in the outback. (Referring to an Australian inhabitant.)
  • The rock art was created by the Bushmen thousands of years ago. (Referring to the San people of southern Africa.)

Advanced Usage

• The term Bushman (often capitalized) is specifically used as an ethnonym for the San people. However, it is considered outdated and potentially pejorative by some. The terms San or specific group names (e.g., !Kung, Ju/'hoansi) are increasingly used in academic and respectful contexts.
• In an Australian context, bushman (often lowercase) can imply specific skills and knowledge of surviving in the harsh bush environment, carrying connotations of toughness, resourcefulness, and independence.

Variants and Related Words

• Bush (n): The remote, wild, uncultivated country, especially in Australia or Africa.
• Bushcraft (n): The skills required for living and surviving in bush country.
• Bushwoman (n): A female dweller in the Australian bush.

Synonyms

• For the Australian sense: Outback dweller, frontiersman, pioneer.
• For the African sense: San (preferred), Basarwa (used in Botswana), hunter-gatherer.

Related Phrases

• Bushman's holiday: An idiom meaning a holiday spent doing the same kind of work or activity one does in one's regular job, akin to a busman's holiday. (Note: This is a variant of the more common idiom "busman's holiday").
• Bushman's telegraph: Refers to the rapid spread of news or rumors through informal networks in remote areas.

Noun

1. a dweller in the Australian bush country
2. a member of the race of nomadic hunters and gatherers who live in southern Africa