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Glite Dictionary
pepper bush

pepper bush

7.5
A shrub with sweet-smelling white flower spikes that attract insects
  • noun
  • /ˈpɛpər bʌʃ/
  • US
translation icon : arbusto de pimienta
  • The pepper bush blooms in late summer, filling the air with a sweet, spicy fragrance.

Examples

  • Gardeners often plant pepper bush for its attractive white flowers and its ability to attract pollinators.

  • We spotted a pepper bush growing along the marshy edge of the pond.

  • The pepper bush blooms beautifully in the spring.

  • I planted a pepper bush in my garden.

  • Gardeners often plant pepper bush for its attractive white flowers and its ability to attract pollinators.

  • The pepper bush blooms in late summer, filling the air with a sweet, spicy fragrance.

  • We spotted a pepper bush growing along the marshy edge of the pond.

Synonyms

sweet pepperbush
vspepper bush
  • US
9.6

A bush with spikes of sweet-smelling white flowers that grows near streams and coasts and attracts bees

is the common name for that shrub rather than a descriptive variant
summer sweet
vspepper bush
  • US
8.4

A bush with fragrant white flowers that bloom in summer

is the same shrub but does not focus on summer flowering timing
Clethra alnifolia
vspepper bush
  • Specialized
9.9

A shrub from eastern US coasts with clusters of fragrant white flowers

is the same species but emphasizes spike-shaped flower groups instead of clusters

Surface Forms

pepper bush singular
pepper bushes plural

Morphology

pepper + bush

The compound is a straightforward noun+noun composition: 'pepper' (a plant producing peppercorns) + 'bush' (a small woody shrub), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a type of shrub related to or characterized by pepper. This follows common English compounding patterns and does not require idiomatic or culture-specific knowledge.

Etymology

Pepper bush probably gets its name from the plant's smell: people noticed its white flowers and leaves gave a warm, pepper-like scent, so they called it pepper and bush. That's why the name means 'a shrub with fragrant, spicy flowers'.