whortle bush

whortle +‎ bush

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

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, London: Peter Cole, p. 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, Christowell: A Dartmoor Tale, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, Volume 2, Chapter 4, p. 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:

     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, A Summer on the Yenisei, London: Edward Arnold, Chapter 9, p. 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.

• whortle
• whortleberry bush