sparrowgrass

[ spar-oh-gras, -grahs ]

noun

, Informal.

1. asparagus.

sparrowgrass

/ ˈspærəʊˌɡrɑːs /

noun

1. a dialect or popular name for asparagus

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparrowgrass¹

First recorded in 1650–60; by folk etymology

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparrowgrass¹

C17: variant of asparagus , associated by folk etymology with sparrow and grass

Example Sentences

I reached for the goblet and trailed my balloon sleeves through the sparrowgrass sauce.

From Literature

“It is my fault,” Father said, cutting into a sparrowgrass spear.

From Literature

A serving maid whisked away my uneaten sparrowgrass and replaced it with scallops and tomato aspic.

From Literature

On Father’s plate and mine was sparrowgrass covered with a tarragon-mustard sauce.

From Literature

We see him discovering samphire, the salty sea-asparagus, or “sparrowgrass,” of Norfolk mud flats—a contradictory plant dependent on sweeping tides, which gathers silt and sand in its stems and creates dry land on which it cannot grow.

From Wall Street Journal