WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
brush′ fire′,
- a fire in an area of bushes, shrubs, or brush, as distinct from a forest fire.
- any small but persistent problem, as within a large organization, a department of a government, or between nations:border skirmishes and other international brush fires.
- 1770–80, American.
- limited in scope, area, or importance, as some labor disputes or local skirmishes.
- 1945–50
'brush fire' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):