# bracken

/ˈbɹækən/ (US) · /bɹˈækən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bracken
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. the plant

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

a large, tough green plant with many small leaves that grows in wild areas.

For teachers: any of several large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium, often forming dense thickets and potentially toxic to livestock.

- The children hid among the tall bracken at the edge of the woods.
- The hillside was covered in thick bracken, which turned a deep rusty brown as the autumn frost set in.

Usage: Usually uncountable when referring to the plant mass, but can be countable when referring to specific species.

### 2. an area of ferns

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

a place in the countryside that is covered with these large ferns.

For teachers: an area of land or countryside dominated by the growth of Pteridium ferns.

- We walked through the bracken to reach the hidden path.
- The hikers struggled to navigate the dense bracken, which obscured the narrow trail leading toward the summit.

Usage: Uncountable in this sense.

## Examples

- The deer moved through the tall bracken in the forest.
- Hikers must be careful not to touch the bracken as it can cause a skin rash if the sap is disturbed.
- The landscape was dominated by a dense carpet of bracken, which provided essential cover for small mammals while simultaneously inhibiting the growth of other native shrubs through its extensive rhizome network.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.