Dictionary

honeybush en · NOUN

Etymology

From honey + bush; for the South African plant, a calque of Afrikaans heuningbos (heuning + bos). Compare related borrowing rooibos (literally “redbush”) from rooi (“red”) + bos (“bush”).

Meanings

1. (South-Africa) Any of a group of bushes in the genus Cyclopia whose flowers smell of honey and whose leaves are used to make an herbal tea.
   • The Fynbos Vinegar, named for vegetation typical of the Cape region, is seasoned with honeybush tea, rose geranium, wild olive, grape must and buchu, a local bush. 2009 September 9, Florence Fabricant, “2 Tasty Vinegars From South Africa”, in New York Times:
2. Any of several not closely related shrubs that have features reminiscent of honey, of species: ▸ Cuttsia viburnea (native elderberry), of rainforests in New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.
3. Any of several not closely related shrubs that have features reminiscent of honey, of species: ▸ Hakea lissocarpha (duck-and-drake-bush), of Western Australia
4. Any of several not closely related shrubs that have features reminiscent of honey, of species: ▸ Melianthus major (Cape honeyflower), of South Africa and naturalised elsewhere
5. Any of several not closely related shrubs that have features reminiscent of honey, of species: ▸ Richea scoparia, of Tasmania

Forms

Coordinates

rooibos tea · rooibos

Hypernyms

bush tea · red tea

Synonyms

honeybush tea