See also: Furze and Fürze

English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English firse, furs, from Old English fyrs (furze, gorse, bramble), from Old English fyres (furze), related to Old English fȳr (fire); otherwise of unknown origin.

Pronunciation edit

Homophone: furs

Noun edit

 

furze (countable and uncountable, plural furzes)

  1. A thorny evergreen shrub, with yellow flowers, Ulex gen. et spp., of which Ulex europaeus is particularly common upon the plains and hills of Great Britain and Ireland.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [] (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 1:
      Gonz. Now would I giue a thouſand furlongs of Sea, for an Acre of barren ground : Long heath, Browne firrs, any thing; []
    • 1771–1790, Benjamin Franklin, “The Autobiography [Part 1]”, in John Bigelow, editor, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. [], Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott & Co., published 1868, →OCLC, page 158:
      At length, receiving his quarterly allowance of fifteen guineas, instead of discharging his debts he walk'd out of town, hid his gown in a furze bush, and footed it to London, []
    • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 41:
      “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
    • 1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter VIII, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: [] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC, page 97:
      Clumps of withered grass stood out on the hill-top; the furze bushes were black, and now and then a black shiver crossed the snow as the wind drove flurries of frozen particles before it.

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Further reading edit

German edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): [fʊʁtsə], [fʊɐ̯tsə]
  • (file)

Verb edit

furze

  1. inflection of furzen:
    1. first-person singular present
    2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
    3. singular imperative

Polish edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈfu.ʐɛ/
  • Rhymes: -uʐɛ
  • Syllabification: fu‧rze

Noun edit

furze f

  1. dative/locative singular of fura