grass
grahs
Grass (noun) means a common green plant with narrow leaves that covers lawns, fields, and meadows. Example: “The kids ran barefoot through the grass.”
noun
1
A common green plant with narrow leaves that covers lawns, fields, and meadows.
"The kids ran barefoot through the grass."
"He mowed the grass every Saturday morning."
"Sheep were grazing on the grass beside the old stone wall."
2
Marijuana (informal).
"The smell of grass drifted from the concert crowd."
3
British informal: an informer who reports criminals or wrongdoers to the authorities.
"Nobody trusted him after he turned out to be a grass."
"The police only caught them because a grass in the group tipped them off."
"In the old crime film, everyone wondered which of them was the grass."
verb
1
British informal: to inform on someone to the police or another authority.
"He grassed on his old gang to avoid a longer sentence."
"Nobody wanted to grass on their neighbour, even though everyone knew what was happening."
"She was afraid he would grass her up to the headteacher."
How to use grass
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe green plant covering lawns and fields; also slang for marijuana or, in British English, for a police informer.
When to use it
The informer and marijuana senses are informal/slang; the plant sense is the neutral everyday meaning.
Common pairings
cut the grass
touch grass
grass on someone
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Word forms
- Plural
- grasses
- Third person singular
- grasses
- Past tense
- grassed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The kids ran barefoot through the _____.
Etymology
From Old English græs, an ancient word going back to a root meaning "to grow" — related to "green" and "grow".
Related words
Rhymes for grass
See all rhymes for grass →Frequently asked questions
What does “grass” mean?
The word “grass” means a common green plant with narrow leaves that covers lawns, fields, and meadows. In plain terms, the green plant covering lawns and fields; also slang for marijuana or, in British English, for a police informer.
How do you pronounce “grass”?
“Grass” is pronounced grahs ([ɡɹ̠æs] in IPA).
How do you use “grass” in a sentence?
Here is “grass” used in a sentence: “The kids ran barefoot through the grass.”
What part of speech is “grass”?
Depending on how it is used, “grass” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “grass” come from?
The word “grass” comes from Old English. From Old English græs, an ancient word going back to a root meaning "to grow" — related to "green" and "grow".
Is “grass” a common word?
“Grass” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “grass” have?
“Grass” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a common green plant with narrow leaves that covers lawns, fields, and meadows.
What is the difference between grass and turf?
Grass is the plant itself — a common green plant with narrow leaves that covers lawns, fields, and meadows. Turf refers to grass together with the surface layer of soil held by its roots, often cut into rolls or squares for laying a new lawn. So you plant grass seed, but you lay turf.
Is grass countable or uncountable?
Grass is normally uncountable: you say "the grass is long," not "the grasses are long," when talking about a lawn. The plural form "grasses" is used when referring to different species or types of grass, as in "ornamental grasses."
What is the difference between grass and hay?
Grass is the living green plant growing in lawns, fields, and meadows. Hay is grass that has been cut and dried so it can be stored and fed to animals. In other words, hay starts out as grass but is no longer growing.
Is grass a slang word for marijuana?
Yes, in informal use grass is a slang term for marijuana. This sense is strictly conversational and should be avoided in formal or professional writing, where the standard terms are marijuana or cannabis.
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