grass

¹

[ gras, grahs ]

noun

1. any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains. Compare grass family.
2. such plants collectively, as when cultivated in lawns or used as pasture for grazing animals or cut and dried as hay.
3. the grass-covered ground.
4. pasture:

   Half the farm is grass.

5. Slang. marijuana.
6. grasses, stalks or sprays of grass:

   filled with dried grasses.

7. the season of the new growth of grass.

verb (used with object)

1. to cover with grass or turf.
2. to feed with growing grass; pasture.
3. to lay (something) on the grass, as for the purpose of bleaching.

verb (used without object)

1. to feed on growing grass; graze.
2. to produce grass; become covered with grass.

Grass

²

[ grahs; German grahs ]

noun

1. Gün·ter (Wil·helm) [goon, -ter , wil, -helm, gyn, -t, uh, r, , vil, -helm], 1927–2015, German novelist, poet, and playwright.

grass

¹

/ ɡrɑːs /

noun

1. any monocotyledonous plant of the family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae ), having jointed stems sheathed by long narrow leaves, flowers in spikes, and seedlike fruits. The family includes cereals, bamboo, etc
2. such plants collectively, in a lawn, meadow, etc gramineousverdant
3. any similar plant, such as knotgrass, deergrass, or scurvy grass
4. ground on which such plants grow; a lawn, field, etc
5. ground on which animals are grazed; pasture
6. a slang word for marijuana
7. slang.
   a person who informs, esp on criminals
8. short for sparrowgrass
9. get off the grass informal.
   an exclamation of disbelief
10. let the grass grow under one's feet
    to squander time or opportunity
11. put out to grass
    1. to retire (a racehorse)
    2. to retire (a person)

verb

1. to cover or become covered with grass
2. to feed or be fed with grass
3. tr to spread (cloth) out on grass for drying or bleaching in the sun
4. tr sport to knock or bring down (an opponent)
5. tr to shoot down (a bird)
6. tr to land (a fish) on a river bank
7. slang.
   intrusually foll byon to inform, esp to the police

Grass

²

/ ɡras /

noun

1. GrassGünter (Wilhelm)1927MGermanWRITING: novelistTHEATRE: dramatistWRITING: poet Günter ( Wilhelm ) (ˈɡyntər). born 1927, German novelist, dramatist, and poet. His novels include The Tin Drum (1959), Dog Years (1963), The Rat (1986), Crabwalk (2002), and Peeling the Onion (2007). Nobel prize for literature 1999

grass

/ grăs /

1. Any of a large family ( Gramineae or Poaceae ) of monocotyledonous plants having narrow leaves, hollow stems, and clusters of very small, usually wind-pollinated flowers. Grasses include many varieties of plants grown for food, fodder, and ground cover. Wheat, maize, sugar cane, and bamboo are grasses.
2. See more at leaf

Derived Forms

• ˈgrassless, adjective
• ˈgrassˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• grassless adjective
• grasslike adjective
• grassward grasswards adverb adjective
• under·grass noun
• un·grassed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of grass¹

before 900; Middle English gras, Old English græs; cognate with Dutch, German, Old Norse, Gothic gras; akin to grow, green

Word History and Origins

Origin of grass¹

Old English græs; related to Old Norse, Gothic, Old High German gras, Middle High German gruose sap

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go to grass, to retire from one's occupation or profession:

   Many executives lack a sense of purpose after they have gone to grass.

2. let the grass grow under one's feet, to delay action, progress, etc.; become slack in one's efforts.

More idioms and phrases containing grass

• don't let the grass grow under one's feet
• put out to grass
• snake in the grass

Example Sentences

Around him, tiny peach trees the size of pencils stand above the browning grass underneath their parent tree.

From Salon

"Pollution is killing a lot of the sea grass that the manatees eat. Plus, as we wean ourselves off fossil fuels and shut down power plants, we are taking away a refuge from them."

From Science Daily

So when you first meet her, she gives you the diatribe of, “Yes, I’ve always been green. I didn’t eat grass as a child. I’m not seasick.”

From Los Angeles Times

Tomorrow, I have written down to mow the grass.

From Salon

Pollen from cypress pine trees, which have few natural protections against fire, fell dramatically, whereas pollen from more fire-tolerant eucalyptus, shrubs, and grasses became more common.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• barley
• hay
• meadow
• pasture
• sod
• turf