thicket

noun

thick·​et ˈthi-kət How to pronounce thicket (audio)
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 adjective

Examples of thicket in a Sentence

a dense thicket of rosebushes flushed a pheasant from a thicket of willows
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.
Eisenberg is a warm, compassionate guide through a thicket of violence, abrupt endings, and youthful longings, and her book is an intelligent corrective to common true-crime tropes. Sarah Weinman, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024 Hedden and a colleague approached the Marshes’ property through the woods and discovered a human skull in a thicket. Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 But the group doesn’t need to wade into that thicket. Bill Adair, TIME, 15 Oct. 2024 To illustrate, Senators have introduced a bill named the Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, which aims to limit patent thickets and product hopping. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thicket 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of thicket was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thicket

Cite this Entry

“Thicket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thicket. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

thicket

noun
thick·​et ˈthik-ət How to pronounce thicket (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on thicket

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!