spear grass

American  

noun

1. any of various grasses, as a meadow grass or a bent grass, having lance-shaped leaves or floral spikes.

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spear grass British  

noun

1. another name for wild Spaniard

2. any of various native Australian grasses, esp of the genera Stipa or Heteropogon , with sharp-pointed seeds

3. any of various grasses with sharp stiff blades or seeds

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Etymology

Origin of spear grass

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spear grass

The same strip of soft sandy flat about half-a-mile wide continued, but better grassed, although the spear grass was far too common.

From Narrative of the Overland Expedition of the Messrs. Jardine from Rockhampton to Cape York, Northern Queensland by Byerley, Frederick, J.

And away we galloped again, until I had scarcely a rag an inch square on my back, or anywhere else, and my skin was tom in pieces by the prickly bushes and spear grass.

From Tom Cringle's Log by Scott, Michael

Amongst the ranges we found kangaroo grass as high as our shoulders, and on the plains the spear grass up to our knees.

From Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia by Wills, William John

They soon disappeared into a jungle of spear grass, above which the sunrise was spreading its bands of smoky gold and rose.

From Sacrifice by Whitman, Stephen French

October 10.—Set fire to the low spear grass of the valley.

From The Nile tributaries of Abyssinia, and the sword hunters of the Hamran arabs by Baker, Samuel White, Sir