Grass

/græs/

/grɑs/

IPA guide

Other forms: grasses; grassed; grassing

That short green stuff all over the front lawn is grass. What could be better than lying in the grass on a summer afternoon, gazing up at puffy clouds in a blue sky?

The word grass goes back to a root that means "green." You're probably familiar with the grass in back yards and city parks. There's also the grass that covers pastures, meant for cows and sheep to graze on, and the grass of grasslands, growing wild on every continent except Antarctica. If you express envy, you may hear the phrase, "The grass is always greener on the other side." In other words, somehow other people's lives always seem better.

Definitions of grass

noun
narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay

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types:
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beach grass
tough grasses with strong roots that can grow on exposed sandy shores

bunch grass, bunchgrass
any of various grasses of many genera that grow in tufts or clumps rather than forming a sod or mat; chiefly of western United States

midgrass
any of various grasses of moderate height which covered the undisturbed prairie in the United States; includes most of the forage grasses of the temperate zone

short-grass, shortgrass
any of various grasses that are short and can tolerate drought conditions; common on the dry upland plains just east of the Rocky Mountains

sword grass
any of various grasses or sedges having sword-shaped leaves with sharp edges

tall-grass, tallgrass
any of various grasses that are tall and that flourish with abundant moisture

lemon grass, lemongrass
a tropical grass native to India and Sri Lanka

Aegilops triuncalis, goat grass
European grass naturalized as a weed in North America; sharp-pointed seeds cause injury when eaten by livestock

wheat-grass, wheatgrass
a grass of the genus Agropyron

bent, bent grass, bent-grass
grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens

broom grass
any of several grasses of the genus Andropogon; used in broom making

Arrhenatherum elatius, French rye, evergreen grass, false oat, tall meadow grass, tall oat grass
coarse perennial Eurasian grass resembling oat; found on roadside verges and rough grassland and in hay meadows; introduced in North America for forage

brome, bromegrass
any of various woodland and meadow grasses of the genus Bromus; native to temperate regions

grama, grama grass, gramma, gramma grass
pasture grass of plains of South America and western North America

Buchloe dactyloides, buffalo grass
short grass growing on dry plains of central United States (where buffalo roam)

reed grass
any of various tall perennial grasses of the genus Calamagrostis having feathery plumes; natives of marshland fens and wet woodlands of temperate northern hemisphere

bur grass, burgrass
a grass of the genus Cenchrus

Cenchrus tribuloides, field sandbur, sandbur, sandspur
grass of the eastern United States and tropical America having spikelets enclosed in prickly burs

finger grass
any grass of the genus Chloris; occurs in short grassland especially on waste ground or poor soils

Cortaderia selloana, pampas grass
tall perennial grass of pampas of South America having silvery plumes and growing in large dense clumps

Arundo richardii, Cortaderia richardii, plumed tussock, toe toe, toetoe
tall grass of New Zealand grown for plumelike flower heads

Bahama grass, Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon, devil grass, doob, kweek, scutch grass, star grass
trailing grass native to Europe now cosmopolitan in warm regions; used for lawns and pastures especially in southern United States and India

Cynodon plectostachyum, giant star grass
perennial grass having stems 3 to 4 feet high; used especially in Africa and India for pasture and hay

Dactylis glomerata, cocksfoot, cockspur, orchard grass
widely grown stout Old World hay and pasture grass

crab grass, crabgrass, finger grass
grasses with creeping stems that root freely; a pest in lawns

lyme grass
a grass of the genus Elymus

wild rye
any of several grasses of the genus Elymus

bay grass, love grass
any of various grasses of the genus Eragrostis; specially useful for forage and for the prevention of erosion

plume grass
a reedlike grass of the genus Erianthus having large plumes

Festuca elatior, fescue, fescue grass, meadow fescue
grass with wide flat leaves cultivated in Europe and America for permanent pasture and hay and for lawns

Festuca ovina, sheep fescue, sheep's fescue
cultivated for sheep pasturage in upland regions or used as a lawn grass

silver grass
of Australia and New Zealand

Holcus lanatus, Yorkshire fog, velvet grass
tall European perennial grass having a velvety stem; naturalized in United States and used for forage

Holcus mollis, creeping soft grass
European perennial grass with soft velvety foliage

rye grass, ryegrass
any of several annual or perennial Eurasian grasses

Muhlenbergia schreberi, nimble Will, nimblewill
slender branching American grass of some value for grazing in central United States

Paspalum dilatatum, dallis grass, dallisgrass, paspalum
tall tufted perennial tropical American grass naturalized as pasture and forage grass in southern United States

Bahia grass, Paspalum notatum
perennial tropical American grass used as pasture grass in arid areas of the Gulf States

Paspalum distichum, knotgrass
low-growing weedy grass with spikelets along the leaf stems

Pennisetum ruppelii, Pennisetum setaceum, fountain grass
tall perennial ornamental grass with long nodding flower plumes of tropical Africa and Asia

Pennistum villosum, feathertop, feathertop grass
northeastern tropical African plant having feathery panicles

Phalaris arundinacea, gardener's garters, lady's laces, reed canary grass, ribbon grass
perennial grass of marshy meadows and ditches having broad leaves; Europe and North America

Phalaris canariensis, birdseed grass, canary grass
Canary Islands grass; seeds used as feed for caged birds

Harding grass, Phalaris aquatica, Phalaris tuberosa, hardinggrass, toowomba canary grass
perennial grass of Australia and South Africa; introduced in North America as forage grass

Phleum pratense, herd's grass, timothy
grass with long cylindrical spikes grown in northern United States and Europe for hay

blue grass, bluegrass
any of various grasses of the genus Poa

meadow grass, meadowgrass
any of various grasses that thrive in the presence of abundant moisture

Saccharum bengalense, Saccharum munja, munj, munja
tough Asiatic grass whose culms are used for ropes and baskets

Andropogon furcatus, Andropogon gerardii, blue stem, bluestem
tall grass with smooth bluish leaf sheaths grown for hay in the United States

cord grass, cordgrass
any of several perennial grasses of the genus Spartina; some important as coastal soil binders

drop-seed, dropseed
a grass of the genus Sporobolus

rush grass, rush-grass
grass having wiry stems and sheathed panicles

St. Augustine grass, Stenotaphrum secundatum, buffalo grass
low mat-forming grass of southern United States and tropical America; grown as a lawn grass

cereal, cereal grass
grass whose starchy grains are used as food: wheat; rice; rye; oats; maize; buckwheat; millet

zoysia
any of several creeping grasses of the genus Zoysia

Agropyron cristatum, crested wheat grass, crested wheatgrass, fairway crested wheat grass
Eurasian grass grown in United States great plains area for forage and erosion control

Agropyron repens, couch grass, dog grass, quack grass, quackgrass, quick grass, witch grass, witchgrass
European grass spreading rapidly by creeping rhizomes; naturalized in North America as a weed

Agropyron subsecundum, bearded wheatgrass
a wheatgrass with straight terminal awns on the flowering glumes

Agropyron smithii, bluestem wheatgrass, western wheatgrass
valuable forage grass of western United States

Agropyron intermedium, Elymus hispidus, intermediate wheatgrass
Asiatic grass introduced into United States rangelands for pasture and fodder

Agropyron pauciflorum, Agropyron trachycaulum, Elymus trachycaulos, slender wheatgrass
North American grass cultivated in western United States as excellent forage crop

Agrostis canina, Rhode Island bent, brown bent, dog bent, velvet bent, velvet bent grass
common grass with slender stems and narrow leaves

Agrostis nebulosa, cloud grass
Spanish grass with light feathery panicles grown for dried bouquets

Agrostis palustris, creeping bent, creeping bentgrass
common pasture or lawn grass spread by long runners

foxtail, foxtail grass
grasses of the genera Alopecurus and Setaria having dense silky or bristly brushlike flowering spikes

Andropogon virginicus, broom sedge
tall tufted grass of southeastern United States

oat
annual grass of Europe and North Africa; grains used as food and fodder (referred to primarily in the plural: `oats')

Bromus inermis, awnless bromegrass
drought-resistant perennial with awns lacking or very short and long creeping rhizomes; Europe and temperate Asia

Bromus secalinus, cheat, chess
weedy annual native to Europe but widely distributed as a weed especially in wheat

Bromus tectorum, cheatgrass, downy brome, downy bromegrass, downy cheat, downy chess, drooping brome
annual or winter annual grass with softly hairy leaves of the Mediterranean

Bromus arvensis, field brome
annual grass of Europe and temperate Asia

Bromus japonicus, Japanese brome, Japanese chess
grass of Mediterranean and temperate Asia

Bouteloua gracilis, blue grama
a pasture grass of western North America

Bouteloua eriopoda, black grama
a pasture grass (especially of western coastal regions of North America)

Calamagrostis acutiflora, feather reed grass, feathertop
a variety of reed grass

Australian reed grass, Calamagrostic quadriseta
tall Australian reedlike grass sometimes used for hay

Cenchrus ciliaris, Pennisetum cenchroides, buffel grass
erect tussock-forming perennial bur grass used particularly in South Africa and Australia for pasture and forage

Chloris gayana, Rhodes grass
perennial grass of South Africa introduced into United States; cultivated as forage grass in dry regions

Chloris truncata, creeping windmill grass, star grass, windmill grass
perennial Australian grass having numerous long spikes arranged like the vanes of a windmill

Dactyloctenium aegypticum, Egyptian grass, crowfoot grass
a creeping grass with spikes like fingers

Digitaria ischaemum, smooth crabgrass
a weed

Digitaria sanguinalis, hairy finger grass, large crabgrass
a European forage grass grown for hay; a naturalized weed in United States

Elymus condensatus, Leymus condensatus, giant ryegrass
stout perennial grass of western North America

Elymus arenarius, European dune grass, Leymus arenaria, sea lyme grass
a dune grass of the Pacific seacoast used as a sand binder

Canada wild rye, Elymus canadensis
North American wild rye

Elymus caput-medusae, medusa's head
weedy rye grass having long bristling awns

Eragrostic abyssinica, Eragrostis tef, teff, teff grass
an African grass economically important as a cereal grass (yielding white flour of good quality) as well as for forage and hay

African love grass, Eragrostis curvula, weeping love grass
perennial South African grass having densely clumped flimsy stems; introduced into United States especially for erosion control

Erianthus ravennae, Ravenna grass, wool grass
grass often cultivated for its long white-ribbed leaves and large plumes resembling those of pampas grass

manna grass, sweet grass
any of several moisture-loving grasses of the genus Glyceria having sweet flavor or odor

barley
a plant cultivated since prehistoric times, grown for forage and grain

English ryegrass, Lolium perenne, perennial ryegrass
European perennial grass widely cultivated for pasture and hay and as a lawn grass

Italian rye, Italian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum
European grass much used for hay and in United States also for turf and green manure

Lolium temulentum, bearded darnel, cheat, darnel, tare
weedy annual grass often occurs in grainfields and other cultivated land; seeds sometimes considered poisonous

rice
annual or perennial rhizomatous marsh grasses; seed used for food; straw used for paper

rice grass, ricegrass
any grass of the genus Oryzopsis

Pennisetum Americanum, Pennisetum glaucum, bulrush millet, cattail millet, pearl millet
tall grass having cattail like spikes; grown in Africa and Asia for its grain and in the United States chiefly for forage; sometimes used in making beer

June grass, Kentucky blue, Kentucky bluegrass, Kentucy blue grass, Poa pratensis
valuable meadow and pasture grass in Europe and especially central United States having tall stalks and slender bright green leaves; a chief constituent in lawn grass mixtures

Agrostis alba, Poa nemoralis, wood meadowgrass
slender European grass of shady places; grown also in northeastern America and temperate Asia

Andropogon scoparius, Schizachyrium scoparium, broom beard grass, prairie grass, wire grass
handsome hardy North American grass with foliage turning pale bronze in autumn

Secale cereale, rye
hardy annual cereal grass widely cultivated in northern Europe where its grain is the chief ingredient of black bread and in North America for forage and soil improvement

millet
any of various small-grained annual cereal and forage grasses of the genera Panicum, Echinochloa, Setaria, Sorghum, and Eleusine

Spartina cynosuroides, salt reed grass
tall reedlike grass common in salt meadows

Spartina pectinmata, freshwater cordgrass, prairie cordgrass, slough grass
North American cordgrass having leaves with dry membranous margins and glumes with long awns

Sporobolus poiretii, blackseed, carpet grass, smut grass
grass native to West Indies but common in southern United States having tufted wiry stems often infested with a dark fungus

Sporobolus cryptandrus, sand dropseed
erect smooth grass of sandy places in eastern North America

grain
a cereal grass

wheat
annual or biennial grass having erect flower spikes and light brown grains

Indian corn, Zea mays, corn, maize
tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times

corn
(Great Britain) any of various cereal plants (especially the dominant crop of the region--wheat in Great Britain or oats in Scotland and Ireland)

Zizania aquatica, wild rice
perennial aquatic grass of North America bearing grain used for food

Japanese carpet grass, Manila grass, Zoysia matrella
lawn grass common in the Philippines; grown also in United States

Japanese lawn grass, Korean lawn grass, Zoysia japonica
lawn grass common in China and Japan; grown also in United States

Korean velvet grass, Zoysia tenuifolia, mascarene grass
Asiatic creeping perennial grass; introduced in southern United States as a drought-resistant lawn grass

type of:
graminaceous plant, gramineous plant
cosmopolitan herbaceous or woody plants with hollow jointed stems and long narrow leaves
noun
bulky food like grass or hay for browsing or grazing horses or cattle

synonyms: eatage, forage, pasturage, pasture

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type of:
fodder
coarse food (especially for livestock) composed of entire plants or the leaves and stalks of a cereal crop
verb
cover with grass

“The owners decided to grass their property”

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type of:
cover
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
verb
cover with grass

synonyms: grass over

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type of:
cover, spread over
form a cover over
verb
feed with grass

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type of:
crop, graze, pasture
let feed in a field or pasture or meadow
noun
a police informer who implicates many people

synonyms: supergrass

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type of:
betrayer, blabber, informer, rat, squealer
one who reveals confidential information in return for money
verb
give away information about somebody

synonyms: betray, denounce, give away, rat, shop, snitch, stag, tell on

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types:
sell out
give information that compromises others

type of:
inform
impart knowledge of some fact, state or affairs, or event to
noun
street names for marijuana

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type of:
cannabis, ganja, marihuana, marijuana
the most commonly used illicit drug; considered a soft drug, it consists of the dried leaves of the hemp plant; smoked or chewed for euphoric effect
verb
shoot down, of birds

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type of:
hit, pip, shoot
hit with a missile from a weapon
verb
spread out clothes on the grass to let it dry and bleach

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type of:
open, spread, spread out, unfold
spread out or open from a closed or folded state

Pronunciation

/græs/

/grɑs/

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