An alternative or archaic spelling of 'gorse,' a spiny shrub with yellow flowers common in British heathland.
Middle English variant of 'gorse,' from Old English 'gorst,' possibly related to Old Norse words; the spelling variation reflects regional pronunciation differences in Middle and Early Modern English.
Plant names are time capsules of regional speech—'gorce' vs. 'gorse' shows how the same plant had subtle pronunciation differences that got frozen into written variants.
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