from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Barnyard grass, for hay. South. {Panicum Grus-galli}. Bent,
pasture and hay. {Agrostis}, several species. Bermuda grass,
pasture. South. {Cynodon Dactylon}. Black bent. Same as {Switch
grass} (below). Blue bent, hay. North and West. {Andropogon
provincialis}. Blue grass, pasture. {Poa compressa}. Blue joint,
hay. Northwest. {Aqropyrum glaucum}. Buffalo grass, grazing.
Rocky Mts., etc.
(a) {Buchlo["e] dectyloides}.
(b) Same as {Grama grass} (below). Bunch grass, grazing.
Far West. {Eriocoma}, {Festuca}, {Stips}, etc. Chess,
or Cheat, a weed. {Bromus secalinus}, etc. Couch
grass. Same as {Quick grass} (below). Crab grass,
(a) Hay, in South. A weed, in North. {Panicum sanguinale}.
(b) Pasture and hay. South. {Eleusine Indica}. Darnel
(a) Bearded, a noxious weed. {Lolium temulentum}.
(b) Common. Same as {Rye grass} (below). Drop seed, fair
for forage and hay. {Muhlenbergia}, several species.
English grass. Same as Redtop (below). Fowl meadow
grass.
(a) Pasture and hay. {Poa serotina}.
(b) Hay, on moist land. {Gryceria nervata}. Gama grass,
cut fodder. South. {Tripsacum dactyloides}. Grama
grass, grazing. West and Pacific slope. {Bouteloua
oligostachya}, etc. Great bunch grass, pasture and
hay. Far West. {Festuca scabrella}. Guinea grass, hay.
South. {Panicum jumentorum}. Herd's grass, in New
England Timothy, in Pennsylvania and South Redtop.
Indian grass. Same as {Wood grass} (below). Italian
rye grass, forage and hay. {Lolium Italicum}. Johnson
grass, grazing and hay. South and Southwest. {Sorghum
Halepense}. Kentucky blue grass, pasture. {Poa
pratensis}. Lyme grass, coarse hay. South. {Elymus},
several species. Manna grass, pasture and hay.
{Glyceria}, several species. Meadow fescue, pasture
and hay. {Festuca elatior}. Meadow foxtail, pasture,
hay, lawn. North. {Alopecurus pratensis}. Meadow
grass, pasture, hay, lawn. {Poa}, several species.
Mesquite grass, or Muskit grass. Same as {Grama grass}
(above). Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed.
{Muhlenbergia diffsa}. Orchard grass, pasture and hay.
{Dactylis glomerata}. Porcupine grass, troublesome to
sheep. Northwest. {Stipa spartea}. Quaking grass,
ornamental. {Briza media} and {maxima}. Quitch, or
Quick, grass, etc., a weed. {Agropyrum repens}. Ray
grass. Same as {Rye grass} (below). Redtop, pasture
and hay. {Agrostis vulgaris}. Red-topped buffalo
grass, forage. Northwest. {Poa tenuifolia}. Reed
canary grass, of slight value. {Phalaris arundinacea}.
Reed meadow grass, hay. North. {Glyceria aquatica}.
Ribbon grass, a striped leaved form of {Reed canary
grass}. Rye grass, pasture, hay. {Lolium perenne},
var. Seneca grass, fragrant basket work, etc. North.
{Hierochloa borealis}. Sesame grass. Same as {Gama
grass} (above). Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native
in Northern Europe and Asia. {Festuca ovina}. Small
reed grass, meadow pasture and hay. North. {Deyeuxia
Canadensis}. Spear grass, Same as {Meadow grass}
(above). Squirrel-tail grass, troublesome to animals.
Seacoast and Northwest. {Hordeum jubatum}. Switch
grass, hay, cut young. {Panicum virgatum}. Timothy,
cut young, the best of hay. North. {Phleum pratense}.
Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. {Holcus
lanatus}. Vernal grass, pasture, hay, lawn.
{Anthoxanthum odoratum}. Wire grass, valuable in
pastures. {Poa compressa}. Wood grass, Indian grass,
hay. {Chrysopogon nutans}.
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Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
true grasses botanically considered, such as black
grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
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{Black grass}, a kind of small rush ({Juncus Gerardi}),
growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.
{Grass of the Andes}, an oat grass, the {Arrhenatherum
avenaceum} of Europe.
{Grass of Parnassus}, a plant of the genus {Parnassia}
growing in wet ground. The European species is {Parnassia
palustris}; in the United States there are several
species.
{Grass bass} (Zool.), the calico bass.
{Grass bird}, the dunlin.
{Grass cloth}, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
grass-cloth plant.
{Grass-cloth plant}, a perennial herb of the Nettle family
({B[oe]hmeria nivea} syn. {Urtica nivea}), which grows in
Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
strong fibers suited for textile purposes.
{Grass finch}. (Zool.)
(a) A common American sparrow ({Po["o]c[ae]tes
gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
{bay-winged bunting}.
(b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Po["e]phila}, of
which several species are known.
{Grass lamb}, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
and giving rich milk.
{Grass land}, land kept in grass and not tilled.
{Grass moth} (Zool.), one of many small moths of the genus
{Crambus}, found in grass.
{Grass oil}, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
India from grasses of the genus {Andropogon}, etc.; --
used in perfumery under the name of {citronella}, {ginger
grass oil}, {lemon grass oil}, {essence of verbena} etc.
{Grass owl} (Zool.), a South African owl ({Strix Capensis}).
{Grass parrakeet} (Zool.), any of several species of
Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
applied to the zebra parrakeet.
{Grass plover} (Zool.), the upland or field plover.
{Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum
Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.
{Crass quit} (Zool.), one of several tropical American
finches of the genus {Euetheia}. The males have most of
the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.
{Grass snake}. (Zool.)
(a) The common English, or ringed, snake ({Tropidonotus
natrix}).
(b) The common green snake of the Northern United States.
See {Green snake}, under {Green}.
{Grass snipe} (Zool.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa
maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.
{Grass spider} (Zool.), a common spider ({Agelena n[ae]via}),
which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous when covered
with dew.
{Grass sponge} (Zool.), an inferior kind of commercial sponge
from Florida and the Bahamas.
{Grass table}. (Arch.) See {Earth table}, under {Earth}.
{Grass vetch} (Bot.), a vetch ({Lathyrus Nissolia}), with
narrow grasslike leaves.
{Grass widow}. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
strohwittwe a mock widow, Sw. gr[aum]senka a grass widow.]
(a) An unmarried woman who is a mother. [Obs.]
(b) A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
husband. [Slang.]
{Grass wrack} (Bot.) eelgrass.
{To bring to grass} (Mining.), to raise, as ore, to the
surface of the ground.
{To put to grass}, {To put out to grass}, to put out to graze
a season, as cattle.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
vernal \ver"nal\ (v[~e]r"nal), a. [L. vernalis, fr. vernus
vernal, ver spring; akin to Gr. 'e`ar, Skr. vasanta, Icel.
v[=a]r, and E. Easter, east.]
1. Of or pertaining to the spring; appearing in the spring;
as, vernal bloom.
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And purple all the ground with vernal flowers.
--Milton.
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2. Fig.: Belonging to youth, the spring of life.
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When after the long vernal day of life. --Thomson.
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And seems it hard thy vernal years
Few vernal joys can show? --Keble.
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{Vernal equinox} (Astron.), the point of time in each year
when the sun crosses the equator when proceeding
northward, about March 21, when day and night are of
approximately equal duration. The beginning of the Spring
season.
{Vernal grass} (Bot.), a low, soft grass ({Anthoxanthum
odoratum}), producing in the spring narrow spikelike
panicles, and noted for the delicious fragrance which it
gives to new-mown hay; -- also called {sweet vernal
grass}. See Illust. in Appendix.
{Vernal signs} (Astron.), the signs, Aries, Taurus, and
Gemini, in which the sun appears between the vernal
equinox and summer solstice.
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