awn
1 synonym for awn, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A thin, bristle-like growth found on the seed heads of grasses such as barley and oats.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
arista
How to use awn
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
barley awn
length of the awn
awn of a grass seed
It's a specialist botanical term, not used in everyday conversation.
Etymology
Awn was inherited through Middle English from Old Norse, ultimately from a very old root meaning chaff, and is related to a wider Germanic family of words for husk-like plant parts.
Full origin of awn →Frequently asked questions
What is an awn on a plant?
It's the thin, bristly appendage found on the seed heads of grasses like barley and oats.
What is another word for awn?
In botany, the same structure is also called an arista.
Which plants have awns?
Grasses such as barley and oats commonly have them, along with other plants that grow similar bristlelike appendages.
