grass

1 of 2

noun

ˈgras 

often attributive

1

: herbage suitable or used for grazing animals

2

: any of a large family (Gramineae synonym Poaceae) of monocotyledonous mostly herbaceous plants with jointed stems, slender sheathing leaves, and flowers borne in spikelets of bracts

3

: land (such as a lawn or a turf racetrack) covered with growing grass

keep off the grass

the horse had never won on grass

4

grasses plural : leaves or plants of grass

5

: a state or place of retirement

put out to grass

6

[short for grasshopper, rhyming slang for copper] British slang : a police informer

7

: electronic noise on a radarscope that takes the form of vertical lines resembling lawn grass

8

: marijuana

grassless

ˈgras-ləs 

adjective

grasslike

ˈgras-ˌlīk 

adjective

grass

2 of 2

verb

grassed; grassing; grasses

transitive verb

1

: to feed (livestock) on grass sometimes without grain or other concentrates

2

: to cover with grass

especially : to seed to grass

intransitive verb

1

: to produce grass

2

British slang : inform sense 1

—often used with on

Synonyms

Verb

• fink
• inform
• rat (on)
• sing
• snitch
• split (on) [British]
• squeak
• squeal
• talk
• tell (on)

Example Sentences

Noun

They were smoking some grass.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Avoid pesticides and outdoor lighting, mow the grass on a high setting and less frequently, and provide moisture. —Monica Cardoza, Washington Post, 15 May 2023

The wetting agent and careful watering keep the soil from drying out and the fertilizer keeps the grass healthy and hides the dark rings that often accompany the mushrooms. —oregonlive, 13 May 2023

The grass needed to be cut, the interior needed dusting. —Jazmine Hughes, New York Times, 10 May 2023

The turf grass selection is consistent all the way through the golf course. —Mark Kazlowski, Dallas News, 10 May 2023

Those grasses that turn the hills green after a wet winter were brought here by the Spanish as early as the 18th century to serve as cattle feed. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2023

In participating cities, grass and weeds codes will be suspended during the month. —Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 1 May 2023

The Forest Service guidelines advise that target shooters should avoid shooting in areas with flammable materials such as dry grass, as ricochets can cause wildfires. —Ellie Willard, The Arizona Republic, 1 May 2023

These pollutants come from blooming trees and grasses following the winter. —Devika Rao, The Week, 27 Apr. 2023

Verb

Williams said the holes that were grassed last should be ideal by the fall. —Mark Kazlowski, Dallas News, 12 May 2023

The major endeavor ahead includes putting in brand new irrigation, plenty of tree work and re-grassing the entire golf course. —Mike Dojc, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023

Farmers in Texas are being forced to sell off their cattle herds earlier than normal due to extreme drought -- as water sources dry out and grass burns up. —Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022

Burning mostly shrub and grass less than a mile from Top-of-The-World, the fire as of Tuesday has consumed more than 71,756 acres with no containment, according to InciWeb. —Chelsea Curtis, The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2021

Berea Community Outreach now encompasses a long list of programs, from a food pantry and Dinner to Your Door to grass cutting and snowplowing for seniors and the disabled. —cleveland, 4 Jan. 2021

Not wanting to miss out on an opportunity to embarrass themselves in public, many of our overzealous police forces have launched online contact forms so people can grass on their neighbors. —Charlie Peters, National Review, 8 Apr. 2020

More of the area around the platform has been grassed, adding even more seating and picnicking areas. —John Davis, azcentral, 27 Jan. 2020

Robotic lawn mowers like the Honda Miimo ($2,499); Robomow ($1,299); and Worx Landroid ($999) are to grass what the Roomba and its ilk are to carpet. —Maria Carter, Country Living, 19 Apr. 2017

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gras, from Old English græs; akin to Old High German gras grass, Old English grōwan to grow

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing grass

• Bahia grass
• bear grass
• beach grass
• cotton grass
• bent grass
• blue-eyed grass
• buffalo grass
• Dallis grass
• cut-grass
• gama grass
• couch grass
• elephant grass
• grass on/up
• grass tree
• grass widow
• Indian grass
• grass widower
• manna grass
• marram grass
• nut grass
• meadow grass
• let the grass grow under one's feet
• oat grass
• pampas grass
• put (someone) out to grass
• quack grass
• salt grass
• saw grass
• short-grass prairie
• sour grass
• snake in the grass
• Sudan grass
• star grass
• sword grass
• tape grass
• turtle grass
• the grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)
• tussock grass
• wire grass
• yard grass
• Bermuda grass
• barnyard grass
• grass court
• fountain grass
• napier grass
• grass carp
• grass cloth
• Rhodes grass
• pangola grass
• love grass
• scurvy grass
• Saint Augustine grass
• orchard grass
• harding grass
• panic grass
• St. Augustine grass
• grass roots

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• Bahia grass
• bear grass
• beach grass
• cotton grass
• bent grass
• blue-eyed grass
• buffalo grass
• Dallis grass
• cut-grass
• gama grass
• couch grass
• elephant grass
• grass on/up
• grass tree
• grass widow
• Indian grass
• grass widower
• manna grass
• marram grass
• nut grass
• meadow grass
• let the grass grow under one's feet
• oat grass
• pampas grass
• put (someone) out to grass
• quack grass
• salt grass
• saw grass
• short-grass prairie
• sour grass
• snake in the grass
• Sudan grass
• star grass
• sword grass
• tape grass
• turtle grass
• the grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)
• tussock grass
• wire grass
• yard grass
• Bermuda grass
• barnyard grass
• grass court
• fountain grass
• napier grass
• grass carp
• grass cloth
• Rhodes grass
• pangola grass
• love grass
• scurvy grass
• Saint Augustine grass
• orchard grass
• harding grass
• panic grass
• St. Augustine grass
• grass roots

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Kids Definition

grass

1 of 2 noun

ˈgras 

1

: herbs suitable for or eaten by grazing animals

2

: any of a large family of green plants (as wheat, corn, bamboo, or sugarcane) with jointed usually hollow stems, long slender leaves, and small dry one-seeded fruits often in groups

3

: grass-covered land

especially : lawn entry 2

4

: marijuana

grasslike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

grassy

ˈgras-ē

adjective

grass

2 of 2 verb

1

: to seed with grass

2

: to provide (as cattle) with grass for food

Medical Definition

grass

noun

ˈgras 

: marijuana

Biographical Definition

Grass

biographical name

ˈgräs 

Günter Wilhelm 1927–2015 German writer