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.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Sponge \Sponge\ (sp[u^]nj), n. [OF. esponge, F. ['e]ponge, L.
spongia, Gr. spoggia`, spo`ggos. Cf. {Fungus}, {Spunk}.]
[Formerly written also {spunge}.]
1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Spongiae, or
Porifera. See Illust. and Note under {Spongiae}.
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2. The elastic fibrous skeleton of many species of horny
Spongiae (Keratosa), used for many purposes, especially
the varieties of the genus {Spongia}. The most valuable
sponges are found in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,
and on the coasts of Florida and the West Indies.
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3. Fig.: One who lives upon others; a pertinacious and
indolent dependent; a parasite; a sponger.
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4. Any spongelike substance. Specifically:
(a) Dough before it is kneaded and formed into loaves, and
after it is converted into a light, spongy mass by the
agency of the yeast or leaven.
(b) Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.
(c) Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.
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5. (Gun.) A mop for cleaning the bore of a cannon after a
discharge. It consists of a cylinder of wood, covered with
sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped
nap, and having a handle, or staff.
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6. (Far.) The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering
to the heel.
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{Bath sponge}, any one of several varieties of coarse
commercial sponges, especially {Spongia equina}.
{Cup sponge}, a toilet sponge growing in a cup-shaped form.
{Glass sponge}. See {Glass-sponge}, in the Vocabulary.
{Glove sponge}, a variety of commercial sponge ({Spongia
officinalis}, variety tubulifera), having very fine
fibers, native of Florida, and the West Indies.
{Grass sponge}, any one of several varieties of coarse
commercial sponges having the surface irregularly tufted,
as {Spongia graminea}, and {Spongia equina}, variety
cerebriformis, of Florida and the West Indies.
{Horse sponge}, a coarse commercial sponge, especially
{Spongia equina}.
{Platinum sponge}. (Chem.) See under {Platinum}.
{Pyrotechnical sponge}, a substance made of mushrooms or
fungi, which are boiled in water, dried, and beaten, then
put in a strong lye prepared with saltpeter, and again
dried in an oven. This makes the black match, or tinder,
brought from Germany.
{Sheep's-wool sponge}, a fine and durable commercial sponge
({Spongia equina}, variety gossypina) found in Florida and
the West Indies. The surface is covered with larger and
smaller tufts, having the oscula between them.
{Sponge cake}, a kind of sweet cake which is light and
spongy.
{Sponge lead}, or {Spongy lead} (Chem.), metallic lead
brought to a spongy form by reduction of lead salts, or by
compressing finely divided lead; -- used in secondary
batteries and otherwise.
{Sponge tree} (Bot.), a tropical leguminous tree ({Acacia
Farnesiana}), with deliciously fragrant flowers, which are
used in perfumery.
{Toilet sponge}, a very fine and superior variety of
Mediterranean sponge ({Spongia officinalis}, variety
Mediterranea); -- called also {Turkish sponge}.
{To set a sponge} (Cookery), to leaven a small mass of flour,
to be used in leavening a larger quantity.
{To throw up the sponge}, to give up a contest; to
acknowledge defeat; -- from a custom of the prize ring,
the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds
throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; -- now,
{throw in the towel} is more common, and has the same
origin and meaning. [Cant or Slang] "He was too brave a
man to throw up the sponge to fate." --Lowell.
{Vegetable sponge}. (Bot.) See {Loof}.
{Velvet sponge}, a fine, soft commercial sponge ({Spongia
equina}, variety meandriniformis) found in Florida and the
West Indies.
{Vitreous sponge}. See {Glass-sponge}.
{Yellow sponge}, a common and valuable commercial sponge
({Spongia agaricina}, variety corlosia) found in Florida
and the West Indies.
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