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Glite Dictionary
to bush out

to bush out

4.4
To grow outward and make many branches so the plant looks fuller
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : ramificar
  • They have bushed out, cut them back, bushed out, cut them back.

Examples

  • These shrubs will bush out over time if they receive enough sunlight and water.

  • To encourage them to bush out, you should fertilize the plants during the growing season.

  • If you prune these plants regularly, they will bush out beautifully in the spring.

Synonyms

to ramify
vsto bush out
  • Specialized
1 8.4

To spread out into many branches like a tree or its roots

focuses on outward expansion to create a fuller plant shape rather than mere division
to burgeon forth
vsto bush out
7.8

To begin to grow quickly, often as new shoots or leaves

grows outward more slowly to build a fuller appearance

Antonyms

to stunt
31 5.1

To stop something from growing normally

How Bushy

to bush out
4.4
to branch out
23 4.0
to grow
∞ 1.0
to sprout
68 2.0

Surface Forms

bush out infinitive
bushed out past
bushed out past participle
bushing out present participle
bushes out third person singular

Morphology

bush + out

The meaning 'to grow outward and develop many branches' is directly derivable from 'bush' (a small woody plant) combined with the particle 'out' indicating outward expansion; this matches productive English patterns like 'branch out' or 'fan out'. Converting the noun into a verb meaning 'become bushy' is a regular, compositional operation, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb bush out comes from gardening: when a plant sends new stems and leaves outward it becomes a bush and spreads out, so gardeners often pinch the top shoots to help it 'grow fuller'. That's why bush out means 'to grow outward and develop many branches'.