thicket
/ˈθɪkɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [θˈɪkɪt] /ˈθɪkɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [θˈɪkɪt] /ˈthi-kət How to pronounce thicket (audio)/ (ame, mw)
thicket — noun
- thicketsingular
- thicketsplural
1. a dense area where bushes, small trees, or thorny plants grow so close together
a dense area where bushes, small trees, or thorny plants grow so close together that it is hard to move through
Amani pushed through a thicket of blackberry bushes to reach the stream.
a thicket of [bushes/plants]
The lost dog was hiding in a thorny thicket behind the farm.
collocation: thorny thicket
Ryo saw rabbit ears moving inside the thicket near the old wall.
Firefighters cut a path through the thicket before the flames spread.
- brush
broader and rougher; it can describe wild bushes without the strong sense of a blocked passage
- undergrowth
plants growing low under taller trees; it does not always form a tight barrier
- copse
a small group of trees, often more open and orderly than a thicket
- clearing
an open area in woods where plants do not grow densely
- open ground
land without the thick plant cover that makes movement difficult
文法句型
a thicket of [bushes/plants]
用法筆記
Usually names wild growth that blocks movement or hides animals and people. It often appears with 'of' plus the type of plant in the area.
常見錯誤
2. a complicated mass of problems, rules, claims, or details that is hard to sort t
a complicated mass of problems, rules, claims, or details that is hard to sort through, understand, or escape from
The mayor tried to lead the town out of a thicket of legal disputes.
figurative: a thicket of [problems/disputes]
Nora found herself in a thicket of rules when she started the business.
in a thicket of [rules]
Reporters faced a thicket of conflicting claims after the accident.
The family got stuck in a thicket of paperwork after the hospital error.
- clarity
a state where details are easy to understand and sort out
- simplicity
a situation with few parts and little difficulty
文法句型
a thicket of [rules/problems/claims]
用法筆記
Usually appears with 'of' plus the trouble involved, such as rules, claims, or legal questions. This figurative sense describes complexity, not actual plant growth.