bulrush Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun tall marsh plant with cylindrical seed heads that explode when mature shedding large quantities of down; its long flat leaves are used for making mats and chair seats; of North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa
    cat's-tail; nailrod; reed mace; bullrush; reedmace; Typha latifolia.
  2. noun tall rush with soft erect or arching stems found in Eurasia, Australia, New Zealand, and common in North America
    soft rush; Juncus effusus; bullrush; common rush.

WordNet

Bul"rush` noun
Etymology
OE. bulrysche, bolroysche; of uncertain origin, perh. fr. bole stem + rush.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A kind of large rush, growing in wet land or in water. ✍ The name bulrush is applied in England especially to the cat-tail (Typha latifolia and T. angustifolia) and to the lake club-rush (Scirpus lacustris); in America, to the Juncus effusus, and also to species of Scirpus or club-rush.

Webster 1913