crab grass

American  

noun

1. an annual grass, Digitaria sanguinalis, common in cultivated and waste grounds and often occurring as a pest weed in lawns.

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crab grass British  

noun

1. any of several coarse weedy grasses of the genus Digitaria, which grow in warm regions and tend to displace other grasses in lawns

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Etymology

Origin of crab grass

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

We made three stops on the way to Cape Town, our favorite being St. Lucia, a well-kempt town sporting carpets of crab grass for front lawns.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2016

This being Vegas, though, the grass was fake, and nearly as brittle as crab grass.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2015

No matter what expensive and complex weapons are used — razor blades, electric shavers, tweezers, waxing, depilatories, electrolysis — hair, like crab grass, always grows back and eventually wins.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2012

It is reactivating improved watering systems; fertilizing, reseeding and mowing the lawns at a higher setting, to three inches, to minimize crab grass growth and grubs; and aerating the soil and adding more earth.

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2011

Then he cut long blades of tough crab grass, and sat cross-legged on the ground tearing the grass lengthwise so that each blade became many strands.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig