zebra rush, n.

zebra-rush
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zebra-rush_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zebra rushnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zebra rush mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zebra rush. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### Where does the noun zebra rush come from?

Earliest known use

1880s

The earliest known use of the noun zebra rush is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for zebra rush is from 1882, in the Garden.

### Nearby entries

1. zebra mule, n. 1841–
2. zebra mussel, n. 1866–
3. zebrano, n. 1908–
4. zebra opossum, n. 1808–
5. zebra parakeet, n. 1856–
6. zebra plant, n. 1826–
7. zebra poison, n. 1871–74
8. zebra print, n. & adj. 1932–
9. zebra rhomb, n. 1770–1844
10. zebra rock, n. 1895–
11. zebra rush, n.1882–
12. zebra shark, n. 1804–
13. zebra skin, n. 1774–
14. zebra spider, n. 1806–
15. zebra suit, n. 1853–
16. zebra swallowtail, n. 1855–
17. zebra wolf, n. 1808–
18. zebrawood, n. 1768–
19. zebra woodpecker, n. 1884–
20. zebrina, n. 1846–
21. zebrine, adj. a1810–

## Meaning & use

1. 1882–
   The ornamental cultivar 'Zebrinus' of the rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, which has green stems with white or yellowish bands.
   1. 1882

      > The Eulalia although very beautiful..is still surpassed by the Zebra Rush.

      Garden 2 September 203/1
   2. 1917

      > A New Zealand flax..cast a bright reflection upon the lake, and the zebra-rush lifted striped sheaves beneath it.

      E. Phillpotts, Nursery ii. 15
   3. 2015

      > There's always the zebra rush whose vertical quills are boldly ringed with white.

      Sunday Express (Nexis) 5 July (Magazine)
   plants
   1. rush Old English–
      Any of numerous marsh or waterside plants characterized chiefly by stiff, pithy, or hollow stems, esp. any of those constituting the monocotyledon…
   2. sharp rush Old English–
      In names of plants. (a) With reference to the pointed or prickly nature of their foliage, as sharp-bind n. Obsolete = sharp smilax n. sharp cedar n.…
   3. dumble 1325–
      A rush or reed. Cf. bumble, n.⁴
   4. junk?a1425–1779
      A rush or reed.
   5. candle-rush c1440–1686
      The common rush, formerly used for making rush lights.
   6. seave?c1450–
      A rush; also, a rushlight.
   7. rush 1562–
      With distinguishing word. Any of numerous plants of the genus Juncus or the family Juncaceae.
   8. sea-rush 1562–
      A species of Juncus (see rush, n.¹ 2b). Also †sea-rush grass.
   9. camel's-straw 1578–
      An old name for the Common Rush (Juncus conglomeratus and effusus).
   10. mat-rush 1578–
       Any of several rushlike plants used to make matting; esp. (a) the common clubrush, Schoenoplectus lacustris (now rare) †(b) marram grass, Ammophil…
   11. hard rush 1582–
       Any of several rushes having relatively hard stems, (now) spec. Juncus inflexus of Europe, having coarse greyish stems.
   12. sprot 1595–
       Any of various coarse grasses or rushes; esp. jointleaf rush, Juncus articulatus, which is native to Eurasia and North America; occasionally in plural…
   13. frog grass 1597–
       a. A succulent herbaceous plant of the genus Salicornia; also called glasswort (now historical and rare); †b. toad grass, Juncus bufonius (obsolete…
   14. matweed 1597–
       Any of various grasses growing in mats or used for matting; esp. (a) (more fully hooded matweed) a Spanish grass, Lygeum spartum, used like esparto…
   15. rush grass 1597–
       Any of several grasses having a rush-like appearance, esp. (North American) one belonging to the genus Sporobolus; also with distinguishing word.
   16. sprat a1600–
       Any of various coarse grasses or rushes; esp. jointleaf rush, Juncus articulatus, which is native to Eurasia and North America. Also: a stalk or…
   17. spart 1614–
       Any of various coarse rushes or grasses. Also more fully spart grass.
   18. bumble 1633–
       Rushes or reeds, perhaps Schoenoplectus lacustris (family Cyperaceae), esp. when used to make the seats of chairs.
   19. aglet-headed 1640–
       Designating any of several spike-rushes (genus Eleocharis, family Cyperaceae) having a flowering head resembling a catkin; esp. (in later use…
   20. toad-grass 1640–
       = toad-rush, n.
   21. soft rush 1649–
       A relatively soft-stemmed rush, Juncus effusus (family Juncaceae), widely distributed in temperate areas of Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and…
   22. moss-rush 1670–
       The heath rush or goose-corn, Juncus squarrosus.
   23. thresh a1689–
       A rush (the marshland or waterside plant: see rush, n.¹ 1a). Now rare.
   24. spret a1700–
       Any of various coarse grasses or rushes; esp. jointleaf rush, Juncus articulatus, which is native to Eurasia and North America. Also: a stalk or…
   25. bog rush 1760–
       Schœnus nigricans; also U.S., a plant of the genus Juncus.
   26. black grass a1763–
       Chiefly North American. A kind of rush, Juncus gerardii, found in salt marshes in North America and parts of Europe, formerly cut and dried for use…
   27. goose-corn 1762–
       a. A kind of rush (Juncus squarrosus): b. = goose-grass, n. 4.
   28. toad-rush 1776–
       Juncus bufonius.
   29. wood-rush 1776–
       Any plant of the genus Luzula, comprising grass-like herbs allied to the rushes, with clusters of chaffy brown flowers.
   30. field rush 1777–
       Any of several rushes, chiefly of north temperate regions, which grow as weeds of grassland; esp. = field woodrush, n.
   31. stool-bent 1777–
       (See quot. 1777).
   32. scrub-grass 1811–
       (See quots.).
   33. field woodrush 1824–
       A European woodrush, Luzula campestris, commonly found as a weed of grassland; cf. field rush, n.
   34. beak-rush 1830–
       attributive and in other combinations, as beak-mouth, beak-nose (see I.5), beak-rush, beak-sedge (see quot.); also the adjectives beak-bearing, beak-l…
   35. salt-weed 1836–
       a. The Toad-rush, Juncus bufonius; b. U.S. a plant of the genus Hedeoma.
   36. wiwi 1840–
       A New Zealand rush used to make an outer covering for the roof and walls of a house.
   37. thread rush 1861–
       Juncus filiformis.
   38. three-leaved rush 1861–
       Having three leaves, or leaves consisting each of three leaflets; trifoliate. three-leaved grass n. an old name for clover; in quot. 1634 apparently…
   39. zebra rush 1882–
       The ornamental cultivar 'Zebrinus' of the rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, which has green stems with white or yellowish bands.
   40. kill-cow 1898–
       A kind of spike-rush: see quot. 1898.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for zebra, n.

zebra, n. was revised in June 2018.