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bluegrass

American

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

noun

any grass of the genus Poa, as the Kentucky bluegrass, P. pratensis, having dense tufts of bluish-green blades and creeping rhizomes.
country music that is polyphonic in character and is played on unamplified stringed instruments, with emphasis especially on the solo banjo.
the Bluegrass. Bluegrass Region.

bluegrass British

/ ˈbluːˌɡrɑːs /

noun

any of several North American bluish-green grasses of the genus Poa , esp P. pratensis ( Kentucky bluegrass ), grown for forage
a type of folk music originating in Kentucky, characterized by a simple harmonized accompaniment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bluegrass Cultural

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Stewart didn’t go for polyester suits or arenas, preferring the rough and rowdy “skull orchards” around Fort Pierce where he could alternate between hillbilly rock and progressive bluegrass.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

He's a massive Steelers fan, a music obsessive, and has played mandolin and guitar in bluegrass and country-rock bands in Brooklyn, Mexico City, Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The Porter Wagoner Show came next, followed by cross-over to pop music, movies, a network television show, award-winning collaborations with Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, and landmark bluegrass albums.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

“Slowly but surely, I got this reputation as a guy who could play anything. One night you’d see me play bluegrass in a little pizza shop, the next night it would be hard rock.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2024

Without anyone asking, Blake or Josh would saunter in, wash a stack, and then go back to playing bluegrass music or working in the shop.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023