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

“I love seeing the deep, rich green of the toyon next to the pale green of the sage, dudleyas, sagebrush and the olive tree,” Smee says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

We paused to smell the zesty aroma of California sagebrush, which grows all along the Canyon Trail.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 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

“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

Then, as Ruby jumped from the water, Amarante noticed a deer tiptoeing through the sagebrush fifteen yards from where the woman had bathed.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols