sagebrush

American  

[seyj-bruhsh] / ˈseɪdʒˌbrʌʃ /

noun

1. any of several sagelike, bushy composite plants of the genus Artemisia, especially A. tridentata, having silvery, wedge-shaped leaves, with three teeth at the tip, common on the dry plains of the western U.S.

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sagebrush British  

/ ˈseɪdʒˌbrʌʃ /

noun

1. any of several aromatic plants of the genus Artemisia, esp A. tridentata, a shrub of W North America, having silver-green leaves and large clusters of small white flowers: family Asteraceae (composites)

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Etymology

Origin of sagebrush

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; sage ² + brush ²

Example Sentences

Toyon brings red berries in winter and white flowers in spring, while California sagebrush and Cleveland sage fill the air with an intoxicating perfume.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

Federal officials designated the Montgomery Pass Wild Horse Territory, a remote area spanning sagebrush steppe and pinyon pine forest east of Mono Lake.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

LEE VINING, Calif. — At a trailhead surrounded by sagebrush, a naturalist welcomes a group of visitors to Mono Lake beside a sign that reads “Oasis in the Desert.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

“We have determined that the dunes sagebrush lizard is in danger of extinction throughout all of its range,” the U.S.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024

I found the perfect hiding place, a small tool shed behind a clump of sagebrush that no one had hid in before.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls