bluegrass

American  

[bloo-gras, -grahs] / ˈbluˌgræs, -ˌgrɑs /

noun

1. any grass of the genus Poa, as the Kentucky bluegrass, P. pratensis, having dense tufts of bluish-green blades and creeping rhizomes.

2. country music that is polyphonic in character and is played on unamplified stringed instruments, with emphasis especially on the solo banjo.

3. the Bluegrass. Bluegrass Region.

---

bluegrass British  

/ ˈbluːˌɡrɑːs /

noun

1. any of several North American bluish-green grasses of the genus Poa , esp P. pratensis ( Kentucky bluegrass ), grown for forage

2. a type of folk music originating in Kentucky, characterized by a simple harmonized accompaniment

---

bluegrass Cultural  

1. A kind of folk music for guitar, banjo, violin, other stringed instruments, and voice; bluegrass is distinguished by rapid notes and improvisation by the musicians.

---

Etymology

Origin of bluegrass

An Americanism dating back to 1745–55; blue + grass

Explanation

Bluegrass is a type of country music that's quick and lively. Bluegrass is played with banjos and guitars. About a hundred years ago, William Smith Monroe was born near Rosine, Kentucky. His style of music, which we call bluegrass today, probably got its name from the name of his band, the Blue Grass Boys, which was in turn named after his home state of Kentucky, the Bluegrass State. Bluegrass is similar to other country music with the exception of tempo: it's much faster. This makes bluegrass popular as dance music — bluegrass makes you want to move your feet.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bluegrass

A trio of beloved bluegrass albums, “The Grass Is Blue,” “Little Sparrow” and “Halos & Horns,” around the turn of the millennium reestablished her as a performer with extensive roots in rural America.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

According to Eddie Stubbs—a musician, historian and former Opry MC—the Busby-and-Stoneman collaborations on Starday “represent the high lonesome sound of bluegrass at its absolute highest level of intensity.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

With these landmark records, Busby also introduced new citified subject matter to bluegrass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

After the formality and diplomatic challenges of Washington DC, this was an opportunity to see a more relaxed side of the US, with bluegrass music and country rock blasting around the town square.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

She did not look back now, but went on and on, thinking of the bluegrass meadow that she had traversed when a little child, believing that it had no beginning and no end.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin