grass

1 of 2

noun

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
grassless adjective
grasslike 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

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 See More

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of grass was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near grass

Cite this Entry

“Grass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grass. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

grass

1 of 2 noun
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
grasslike 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

Biographical Definition

Grass

biographical name

Günter Wilhelm 1927–2015 German writer

More from Merriam-Webster on grass

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