ˈfərz noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English firse, furse, from Old English fyrs; akin to Greek pyros wheat, pyrēn pit (of fruit), Lithuanian pūrai winter wheat, Old Slavic pyro spelt
: any of several plants of the genera Ulex and Genista ; especially : a spiny evergreen shrub ( U. europaeus ) with yellow flowers that is very common throughout Europe and is often used for fuel and fodder — called also gorse, whin