Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Grass
Grass
(grȧs)
, Noun.
[OE.
gras
, gres
, gers
, AS, græs
, gærs
; akin to OFries. gres
, gers
, OS., D., G., Icel., & Goth. gras
, Dan. græs
, Sw. gräs
, and prob. to E. green
, grow
. Cf. Graze
.] 1.
Popularly: Herbage; the plants which constitute the food of cattle and other beasts; pasture.
2.
(Bot.)
An endogenous plant having simple leaves, a stem generally jointed and tubular, the husks or glumes in pairs, and the seed single.
☞ This definition includes wheat, rye, oats, barley, etc., and excludes clover and some other plants which are commonly called by the name of grass. The grasses form a numerous family of plants.
3.
The season of fresh grass; spring.
[Colloq.]
Two years old next
grass
. Latham.
4.
Metaphorically used for what is transitory.
Surely the people is
grass
. Is. xl. 7.
Wood grass
, Indian grass
hay.
Chrysopogon nutans
. ☞ Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not true grasses botanically considered, such as black
grass
, goose grass
, star grass
, etc. Black grass
, a kind of small rush (
– Juncus Gerardi
), growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay. Grass of the Andes
, an oat grass, the
– Arrhenatherum avenaceum
of Europe.Grass of Parnassus
, a plant of the genus
– Parnassia
growing in wet ground. The European species is Parnassia palustris
; in the United States there are several species. Grass bass
(Zool.)
, the calico bass.
– Grass bird
, the dunlin.
– Grass cloth
, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the grass-cloth plant.
– Grass-cloth plant
, a perennial herb of the Nettle family (
– Bœhmeria nivea
syn. Urtica nivea
), which grows in Sumatra, China
, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and strong fibers suited for textile purposes. Grass finch
. (Zool.)
(a)
A common American sparrow (Poöcætes gramineus
); – called also vesper sparrow
and bay-winged bunting
. (b)
Any Australian finch, of the genus Poëphila
, of which several species are known. Grass lamb
, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land and giving rich milk.
– Grass land
, land kept in grass and not tilled.
– Grass moth
(Zool.)
, one of many small moths of the genus
– Crambus
, found in grass. Grass oil
, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in India from grasses of the genus
– Andropogon
, etc.; – used in perfumery under the name of citronella
, ginger grass oil
, lemon grass oil
, essence of verbena
etc. Grass owl
(Zool.)
, a South African owl (
– Strix Capensis
). Grass parrakeet
(Zool.)
, any of several species of Australian parrots, of the genus
– Euphemia
; – also applied to the zebra parrakeet. Grass plover
(Zool.)
, the upland or field plover.
– Grass poly
(Bot.)
, a species of willowwort (
Lythrum Hyssopifolia
). Johnson.
– Crass quit
(Zool.)
, one of several tropical American finches of the genus
– Euetheia
. The males have most of the head and chest black and often marked with yellow. Grass snake
. (Zool.)
(a)
The common English, or ringed, snake (
Tropidonotus natrix
). (b)
The common green snake of the Northern United States. See
– Green snake
, under Green
. Grass snipe
(Zool.)
, the pectoral sandpiper (
– Tringa maculata
); – called also jacksnipe
in America. Grass spider
(Zool.)
, a common spider (
– Agelena nævia
), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous when covered with dew. Grass sponge
(Zool.)
, an inferior kind of commercial sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.
– Grass table
. – Grass vetch
(Bot.)
, a vetch (
– Lathyrus Nissolia
), with narrow grasslike leaves. Grass widow
. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
strohwittwe
a mock widow, Sw. gräsenka
a grass widow.] (a)
An unmarried woman who is a mother.
[Obs.]
(b)
A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her husband.
[Slang.]
– Grass wrack
(Bot.)
eelgrass.
– To bring to grass
(Mining.)
, to raise, as ore, to the surface of the ground.
– To put to grass
, To put out to grass
to put out to graze a season, as cattle.
Grass
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Grassed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Grassing
.] 1.
To cover with grass or with turf.
2.
To expose, as flax, on the grass for bleaching, etc.
3.
To bring to the grass or ground; to land;
as, to grass a fish
. [Colloq.]
Grass
,Verb.
I.
To produce grass.
[R.]
Tusser.
Webster 1828 Edition
Grass
GR`ASS
,Noun.
1.
In common usage, herbage; the plants which constitute the food of cattle and other beasts.2.
In botany, a plant having simple leaves, a stem generally jointed and tubular, a husky calyx, called glume, and the seed single. This definition includes wheat, rye, oats, barley, &c., and excludes clover and some other plants which are commonly called by the name of grass. The grasses form a numerous family of plants.Grass of Parnassus, a plant, the Parnassia.
GR`ASS
,Verb.
T.
GR`ASS
,Verb.
I.