RUSH

n. 1 a any marsh or waterside plant of the family Juncaceae, with naked slender tapering pith-filled stems (properly leaves) formerly used for strewing floors and still used for making chair-bottoms and plaiting baskets etc. b a stem of this. c (collect.) rushes as a material. 2 archaic a thing of no value (not worth a rush). ørush candle a candle made by dipping the pith of a rush in tallow. øørushlike adv. rushy adj. [OE rysc, rysce, corresp. to MLG, MHG rusch]