oat grass

American  

noun

1. any of several grasses of the genus Arrhenatherum or Danthonia, especially A. elatius, native to Europe, having a purplish-green flowering panicle.

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oat grass British  

noun

1. any of various oatlike grasses, esp of the genera Arrhenatherum and Danthonia, of Eurasia and N. Africa

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Etymology

Origin of oat grass

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Most cat grass kits contain wheatgrass, oat grass, ryegrass or a mixture of these.

From Seattle Times

She was referring to two members of a genus of bunch grasses, commonly called oat grass, that she had noticed under power lines, in old city parks and in cemeteries — growing in unimproved soil with only occasional mowing.

From Seattle Times

On a recent morning, as first light broke over fields of red oat grass on the savanna, a female lion let roar.

From New York Times

Scanning the endless field of red oat grass extending from the top of the opposite bank of a seasonal creek, my eyes suddenly tracked to a flicker of movement.

From Scientific American

The Staten Island center, the only urban source in the Western Hemisphere to provide seed for the international effort, has shipped off 100 species from within 75 miles of New York City, including bayberry, oat grass and hairy Solomon’s seal.

From New York Times