crabgrass

Thân thiện

Crabgrass spreads quickly across the neglected lawn.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of grass with creeping stems that root freely; considered a weed in lawns: Crabgrass refers to certain species of annual grasses, particularly of the genus Digitaria, known for their low-growing, spreading habit. They are often considered invasive pests in cultivated turf because they can quickly overtake desired lawn grasses.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The lawn was overrun with crabgrass after a wet summer.
  • Effective lawn care includes preventing crabgrass from germinating in the spring.

Advanced Usage

• As a collective noun: Often used in a non-countable sense to refer to the weed infestation as a whole.
  • The entire yard was nothing but crabgrass.
• In gardening/agricultural contexts: Used to specify a problematic weed that competes with crops or ornamental plants.
  • The farmer struggled to control crabgrass in his soybean field.

Variants and Related Words

• Crab grass: An alternative spelling, often written as two words.
• Digitaria: The scientific genus name for most crabgrass species.
• Hairy crabgrass (): A common specific species.
• Smooth crabgrass (): Another common species.

Synonyms

• Finger grass: Another common name for some species.
• Summer grass: A descriptive name highlighting its growth period.
• Weed grass: A general term, though less specific.

Related Phrases

• Crabgrass preventer: A common term for herbicides designed to stop crabgrass seeds from germinating.
  • Apply a crabgrass preventer in early spring.
• Crabgrass infestation: Describes a lawn or area heavily affected by the weed.
  • The park suffered from a severe crabgrass infestation.

Học thuật

Noun

1. grasses with creeping stems that root freely; a pest in lawns

Từ đồng nghĩa

• crab grass
• finger grass