sparrowgrass

American

[spar-oh-gras, -grahs] / ˈspær oʊˌgræs, -ˌgrɑs /

noun

Informal.

asparagus.

sparrowgrass British

/ ˈspærəʊˌɡrɑːs /

noun

a dialect or popular name for asparagus

"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

Etymology

Origin of sparrowgrass

First recorded in 1650–60; by folk etymology

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.

See Examples For:

sparrowgrass

A serving maid whisked away my uneaten sparrowgrass and replaced it with scallops and tomato aspic.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

“It is my fault,” Father said, cutting into a sparrowgrass spear.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

I reached for the goblet and trailed my balloon sleeves through the sparrowgrass sauce.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

On Father’s plate and mine was sparrowgrass covered with a tarragon-mustard sauce.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

"I can't tell from a sparrowgrass bed what church they belong to, but they're no idolaters."

From The Casting Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine by Frank Richard Stockton

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