whortle bush

English

Etymology

whortle +‎ bush

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɝtl̩bʊʃ/, /ˈhwɝtl̩-/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɜːtl̩bʊʃ/

Noun

whortle bush (plural whortle bushes)

1. Any of several shrubs belonging to the genus Vaccinium, bearing fruit known as whortleberries.
   • 1652, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physitian‎^[1], London: Peter Cole, page 16:

     The Red Bilberry, or whortle-bush, riseth up like the [Black], having sundry harder Leaves, like the Box-Tree Leaves, green and round pointed standing on the several Branches […]

   • 1882, Richard Doddridge Blackmore, chapter 4, in Christowell: A Dartmoor Tale‎^[2], volume 2, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, page 69:

     With a short breath of wonder, and a long one of delight, Rose stopped, and sat down by a low whortle-bush, with a pink frill still adorning it.

   • 1889, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 23, in Micah Clarke‎^[3]:

     My course ran along by the foot of the beautiful Quantock Hills, where heavy-wooded coombes are scattered over the broad heathery downs, deep with bracken and whortle-bushes.

   • 1915, Maud Doria Haviland, chapter 9, in A Summer on the Yenisei‎^[4], London: Edward Arnold, page 193:

     The bird feigned a broken wing, and Vassilli, falling into the trap, instead of shooting her at once, followed her as she dodged through the whortle bushes.

Synonyms

• whortle
• whortleberry bush