sparrowgrass

[ spar-oh-gras, -grahs ]

/ ˈspær oʊˌgræs, -ˌgrɑs /

noun Informal.

Nearby words

sparoid, sparring partner, sparrow, sparrow hawk, sparrowfart, sparrowgrass, sparrowhawk, sparry, sparse, sparta, spartacist

Origin of sparrowgrass

First recorded in 1650–60; by folk etymology

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sparrowgrass

Then I went back to the rockaway, but met Mrs. Sparrowgrass and the children on the road coming to meet me.
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IV. (of X.)|Various
Mrs. Sparrowgrass got a little nervous, and twitched me by the skirt of the coat "Dear," said she, "let him go."
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume IV. (of X.)|Various
Look at old Pedro and Philippa over there, setting out that stuff that looks like sparrowgrass.
West Wind Drift|George Barr McCutcheon
Them flowers brighten up the place wonderful, and that sparrowgrass just beats anything.
Randy's Summer|Amy Brooks

Besides, Mrs. Sparrowgrass had bought a rattle when she was in Philadelphia; such a rattle as watchmen carry there.
Little Masterpieces of American Wit and Humor|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sparrowgrass

sparrowgrass

/ (ˈspærəʊˌɡrɑːs) /

noun

a dialect or popular name for asparagus

Word Origin for sparrowgrass

C17: variant of asparagus, associated by folk etymology with sparrow and grass

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