cheatgrass

noun

cheat·​grass ˈchēt-ˌgras How to pronounce cheatgrass (audio)
: an annual weedy Eurasian bromegrass (Bromus tectorum) naturalized in North America

Examples of cheatgrass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For some plants, including nonnative grasses like cheatgrass, abnormal amounts of winter moisture can spur extra growth — creating more fuel, and fire potential, late in the summer. Evan Bush, NBC News, 24 May 2023 Haaland also visited the US Geological Survey in Boise, where scientists are working to better understand the sagebrush steppe in the US West that has been plagued with giant wildfires in recent decades as invasive species, notably cheatgrass, have moved in. Keith Ridler, BostonGlobe.com, 17 June 2022 Heat alone is enough to ignite cheatgrass. Luke Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Oct. 2021 And then there are the wildfires, fueled by the invasive cheatgrass that takes hold in sagebrush’s absence. Abigail Tucker, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Jan. 2023 The warmed plots, by contrast, are red squares of flat, cracked dirt with a few dead sprigs of invasive cheatgrass. Zak Podmore, The Salt Lake Tribune, 5 Dec. 2022 Nonnative invasive species like cheatgrass quickly spread across hillsides no longer blanketed for months in snow. Noah Davis, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2022 Straying may break up biologically active soil, creating room for cheatgrass to invade. Luke Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Oct. 2021 In Yellowstone, non-native cheatgrass and desert madwort suck moisture out of the ground in early spring, depleting groundwater needed to sustain vegetation throughout the summer that grazing animals feast on. The Week Staff, The Week, 24 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cheatgrass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cheatgrass was in 1838

Dictionary Entries Near cheatgrass

Cite this Entry

“Cheatgrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheatgrass. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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