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

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

Native grasses are the white clover, spear grass, blue grass, fox-tail and crab grass, the two last-named being summer or annual grasses.

From History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County, Virginia by Head, James William

Some of the ground was very scrubby and boggy, and better, though not well grassed, too much spear grass occuring.

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

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

September 26.—The weather is now intensely hot, and the short spear grass is drying so rapidly that in some stony places it can be fired.

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