Furze
/fɜːrz/noun
A thorny evergreen shrub with yellow flowers, especially common on heathland and moors.
Did you know?Furze has long been associated with wild heathland and was traditionally burned as fuel, but its deeper prehistoric root is uncertain and may relate to prickling or piercing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic, possibly prehistoric
Proto-Germanic
*fursaz
“A reconstructed name for a thorny shrub; its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Old English, before 1100
Old English
fyrs
“Furze or gorse, the prickly yellow-flowering shrub.”
Middle English, 12th–14th Century
Middle English
furs
“The shrub commonly called furze or gorse.”
15th Century
English
furse
“A form referring to the same thorny heathland plant.”
Modern English
English
furze
“A spiny evergreen shrub, especially Ulex europaeus, with vivid yellow flowers.”