thicket

noun

thick·​et ˈthi-kət 

1

: a dense growth of shrubbery or small trees : copse

2

: something resembling a thicket in density or impenetrability : tangle

a political thicket

a thicket of reporters

thickety

ˈthi-kə-tē 

adjective

Synonyms

• boscage
• boskage
• bosk
• bosque
• bosquet
• brake
• brushwood
• chaparral
• coppice
• copse
• covert

Examples of thicket in a Sentence

a dense thicket of rosebushes

flushed a pheasant from a thicket of willows

Recent Examples on the Web

The best part of the farm itself was a dirt track that led from the back of the house to the edge of the property to a creek that ran swiftly through a dense thicket of trees. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024

Gradually forests and bogs give way to more salt-tolerant thickets. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

The harrowing true story of the lions, which raided tents in the camp at night and dragged victims into the thicket, has inspired movies and books over the years — and copious research to understand what drove them to prey on humans. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024

In California, decades of fire suppression policies have exacerbated the issue, leaving behind overgrown thickets of vegetation. —Elena Shao, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English *thikket, from Old English thiccet, from thicce thick

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

thicket

noun

thick·​et ˈthik-ət 

1

: a thick usually small patch of shrubbery, small trees, or underbrush

2

: something resembling a thicket in being crowded together or impenetrable

a thicket of fans