noun

bracken

BRA-kuhn

noun

A tough, fast-spreading fern that grows in dense patches on hillsides and moorland; toxic to grazing animals if eaten in quantity.

"The hillside was covered in thick bracken turning golden brown in autumn."

"Farmers try to keep bracken from spreading into grazing land."

How to Use Bracken

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA common wild fern found on hills and open ground, often growing in large, dense stretches.

Common pairings

thick bracken a bed of bracken bracken-covered hillside

brackens plural

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Can you complete this real example?

The hillside was covered in thick _____ turning golden brown in autumn.

From Middle English braken, likely of Old Norse origin, related to a root meaning "to break" — probably describing how the fronds snap.

blacken