napier grass

noun

a tall, leafy grass, Pennisetum purpureum, native to Africa, grown as a forage plant.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby napier grass

naphthol, naphthol yellow s, naphthyl, naphthyl group, napier, napier grass, napier's bones, napier-hastings, napierian, napierian logarithm, napiform

Origin of napier grass

First recorded in 1910–15; after Napier, South Africa

Also called elephant grass.