grass

¹ American  

[gras, grahs] / græs, grɑs /

noun

1. any plant of the family Gramineae, having jointed stems, sheathing leaves, and seedlike grains.

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.

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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.

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.

Grass ² American  

[grahs, grahs] / grɑs, grɑs /

noun

1. Günter (Wilhelm) 1927–2015, German novelist, poet, and playwright.

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Grass ¹ British  

/ ɡras /

noun

1. 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

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grass ² British  

/ 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

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. informal an exclamation of disbelief

10. to squander time or opportunity

11. 1. to retire (a racehorse)

    2. informal to retire (a person)

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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 to inform, esp to the police

grass Scientific  

/ 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

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grass More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing grass

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

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Other Word Forms

• grassless adjective
• grasslike adjective
• grassward adverb
• grasswards adverb
• undergrass noun
• ungrassed adjective

Etymology

Origin of grass

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

Example Sentences

The product - which, you may be surprised to read, doesn't smell - has already been used to grow grass and crops, with field trials suggesting it can be as effective as synthetic fertiliser.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

On an embroidered picnic laid out on the grass, a group of friends chatted over tea as food simmered gently on a gas stove.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

When you’re enjoying a trail, stick to the designated path and avoid walking in tall grass or areas where you cannot see the ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

But there was always a three-season plan where I had stakes in the grass.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

But then I didn’t have to, because the explanation stepped out of the trees and onto the grass beside us, sunlight bouncing off her perfect strands, and looking like a freaking goddess.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

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