feather-grass

A single feather-grass sways gently in the prairie breeze.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of grass: "feather-grass" refers to any of several grasses belonging to the genus Stipa, characterized by long, feathery or plume-like awns (bristle-like appendages) on their seed heads.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The feather-grass swayed gently in the wind, its plumes catching the sunlight. (A specific grass species with feathery seed heads.)
  • Botanists collected samples of feather-grass from the steppes of Central Asia. (A grass from the genus Stipa.)

Advanced Usage

• "feather-grass" as a descriptive term: In horticulture or ecology, the word may be used to describe any grass with a feathery appearance, though it technically refers to species.
  • The prairie was dotted with tufts of feather-grass, creating a soft, silvery landscape. (Referring to Stipa grasses with feathery plumes.)

Variants and Related Words

• Feather-grass (n): the standard spelling, often hyphenated.
• Feathery (adj): resembling or covered with feathers; light and soft.
  • The feathery seed heads of the grass shimmered in the breeze. (Describing the texture of the grass.)

Synonyms

• Stipa grass: a more formal botanical term for the same genus.
• Needle grass: a common name for some species, due to their sharp awns.
• Spear grass: another common name for certain species.

Related Idioms

• "As light as feather-grass": a poetic or literary comparison meaning extremely light or delicate.
  • Her footsteps were as light as feather-grass on the morning dew. (A metaphorical description of lightness.)