creosote bush

noun

: a resinous desert shrub (Larrea tridentata) of the caltrop family found in the southwestern U.S. and Mexico

Illustration of creosote bush

Illustration of creosote bush

Examples of creosote bush in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The landscape is vast and rugged, a mish-mash of rock, dirt and creosote bushes, swaths of gray and brown under a deep blue sky. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024 It’s turned rainy and cooler in the past couple of days, but the creosote bushes are blooming yellow. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026 From above, the light of an intransigent sun falls on the creosote bush, the coyotillo, the cat’s claw. — Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026 The sap groove prevents sticky buildup, which is perfect for working on resinous plants like creosote bush, aspen, desert willows, birch, and alder. — Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for creosote bush

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of creosote bush was in 1846

Rhymes for creosote bush

See All Rhymes for creosote bush

Browse Nearby Words

creosote
creosote bush
creosote carbonate
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Cite this Entry

“Creosote bush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/creosote%20bush. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

creosote bush

noun
: a desert shrub of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico with small yellow flowers

More from Merriam-Webster on creosote bush

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about creosote bush

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