tussock

American  

[tuhs-uhk] / ˈtʌs ək /

noun

1. a tuft or clump of growing grass or the like.

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tussock British  

/ ˈtʌsək /

noun

1. a dense tuft of vegetation, esp of grass

2. 1. short for tussock grass

   2. country where tussock grass grows

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tussocked
  adjective
• tussocky
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tussock

1540–50; apparently akin to Middle High German zūsach thicket, derivative of zūse lock (of hair), brushwood. See -ock

Explanation

A tussock is a clump or tuft of something, like the tussock of grass at the top of a hill. Your grandpa might have an entirely bald head except for the tussock of gray on top of it, and your yard might consist of dandelions and one tussock of tall grass. It's most common to use this noun, in fact, for grass that sprouts taller than the surrounding growth. When tussock was originally used, in the 1540s, it meant "a tuft of hair." Its origin is uncertain.