eelgrass

American  

[eel-gras, -grahs] / ˈilˌgræs, -ˌgrɑs /

noun

1. a grasslike marine plant, Zostera marina, having ribbonlike leaves.

2. tape grass.

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eelgrass British  

/ ˈiːlˌɡrɑːs /

noun

1. any of several perennial submerged marine plants of the genus Zostera, esp Z. marina, having grasslike leaves: family Zosteraceae

2. another name for tape grass

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Etymology

Origin of eelgrass

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; eel + grass

Example Sentences

Kalt worries some species, such as the eelgrass, will be destroyed by the regular dredging required to maintain a water depth of 40 feet to accommodate the ships for the new terminal.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

An algal bloom in the area had caused a decline in the eelgrass beds that provide them with food, but the local community restored the habitat, resulting in more manatees being recorded than ever before.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2024

Traditionally, eelgrass and seaweeds struggle in ice-filled waters because the ice reduces sunlight availability and grinds and damages their tissues.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2024

With few natural predators, invasive green crab populations have dug in, overtaking the eelgrass beds that native birds and fish depend upon to survive.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2023

I poled my skiff from float to float, fishing out the soft crabs and taking them to the crab house to pack them in boxes filled with eelgrass for shipping.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson