grass

¹

[gras, grahs]

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.

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, grahs]

noun

1. Günter (Wilhelm) 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

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)

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

²

/ 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

grass

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

Other Word Forms

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

“The grass isn’t always greener where you go,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

“When deer are eating native plants, those are being replaced by invasive annual grasses, and then those dry out quickly and burn easily,” Barton said.

From Los Angeles Times

"She looked me up and down and said, 'Oh, Andrew had 35 Valentines' this year.' Keep off the grass."

From BBC

They sing, dance, share stories and place freshly cut grass and flowers in water - a symbol of life, renewal and hope.

From BBC

As enticing as managing a top club may be, the grass isn't always greener.

From BBC

Related Words

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