fescue

noun fes·cue \ ˈfe-(ˌ)skyü \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of fescue

1 : a small pointer (such as a stick) used to point out letters to children learning to read

2 : any of a genus (Festuca) of tufted perennial grasses with panicled spikelets

Recent Examples of fescue from the Web

It is located atop the highest of Shinnecock’s eponymous hills, giving golfers a beautiful view of trees and fescue and hospitality tents to enjoy while a breeze tickles their faces.

— stephanie apstein, SI.com, "Lengthened and Unforgiving, 14th Hole Is the Most Dreaded at Shinnecock Hills in U.S. Open," 15 June 2018
His detour into the rough at the 14th hole was just one of many stops on his comprehensive tour of the Shinnecock fescue.

— brian costa, WSJ, "A Rough Day at the U.S. Open for McIlroy, Spieth, Mickelson," 14 June 2018
Chambers Bay, the Pierce County golf course that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, is likely to close for about five months starting in October to complete the conversion from mostly fescue greens to poa annua greens.

— craig smith, The Seattle Times, "Chambers Bay likely to temporarily close in October to plant new greens," 9 June 2018
And the fescue looming, like, one yard off the fairway is absolutely brutal.

— daniel rapaport, SI.com, "FORE Questions: Young Americans Are Dominating Professional Golf," 28 May 2018
Well, all of that data was available at Chambers Bay in 2015, when several of the fescue greens withered during an unseasonably hot and dry spell.

— marcus hayes, Philly.com, "USGA says No. 7 at Shinnecock won't happen in this year's U.S. Open. But what will? | Marcus Hayes," 22 May 2018
Trinity is a windswept, mostly tree-less course that features short grass, fescue, swaying prairie grass, dunes, massive fairways and enormous, sloping greens that force the player to strategize and tap into their imaginations.

— steve dimeglio, USA TODAY, "Treeless Trinity Forest a unique test as Marc Leishman leads Byron Nelson," 17 May 2018
SUBSCRIBE TODAY Trinity Forest, with its broad, undulating fairways and big sloping greens, and short grass and fescue, looks and plays like a classic links layout.

— john henry, star-telegram, "Here's what Ben Crenshaw, other golfers had to say about the new AT&T Byron Nelson Classic course | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 17 May 2018
The fescue grass starts to grow surprisingly early in the Piedmont and needs fertilizer for good growth through the spring.

— nancy brachey, charlotteobserver, "Find surprises in your landscape," 12 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fescue.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of fescue

Middle English festu stalk, straw, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin festucum, from Latin festuca

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1589

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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See words that rhyme with fescue Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fescue

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