noun
bushwhacker
A person who makes a way through dense brush.
The bushwhacker cuts a narrow route through tangled undergrowth.
Etymology
The compound pictures someone striking or cutting brush to get through it. It names a traveler making a route through dense vegetation rather than following a cleared path.
More examples
- An experienced bushwhacker led us away from the marked trail.
- The bushwhackers pushed slowly through the thorny shrubs.
- Each bushwhacker carried gloves to handle the dense brush.
Forms
bushwhacker · bushwhackers
Similar words
- hiker
- May follow an established trail, while bushwhacker forces a way through vegetation.