spicebush

[ spahys-boosh ]

noun

1. Also called spice-wood. a yellow-flowered, North American shrub, Lindera benzoin, of the laurel family, whose bark and leaves have a spicy odor.
2. a North American shrub, Calycanthus occidentalis, having oblong leaves and fragrant, light-brown flowers.

spicebush

/ ˈspaɪsˌbʊʃ /

noun

1. a North American lauraceous shrub, Lindera benzoin, having yellow flowers and aromatic leaves and bark

Word History and Origins

Origin of spicebush¹

An Americanism dating back to 1760–70; spice + bush ¹

Example Sentences

There were clam shells piled up with red checkerberries, and caddis worms on the half shell, with spicebush nubbins.

From Project Gutenberg

Below is a golden sheen where the spicebush is in flower, and a shimmer of pale green about the early willows.

From Project Gutenberg