Bentgrass

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɛnt.ɡɹæs/

Definitions

1. A variety of grass characterized by its fine leaves, often found in well-maintained lawns and golf courses, is prized for its soft texture and dense growth
2. This specific species of grass is favored for use on putting greens, thanks to its lush appearance and tolerance for low mowing, thriving particularly in moist, cooler climates
3. A type of lawn grass known for its fine blades, commonly utilized in golf courses and lawns, that grows densely and thrives in damp, cooler environments

Etymology: Bentgrass takes its first half from "bent," an old English word for a coarse, stiff grass that grew on moors and open heathland, not for anything bent or curved. That older sense survives in the compound itself: the word names a family of fine grasses (Agrostis) whose slender stems and narrow blades were the lawn grasses people valued for close, smooth turf. The "bent" of the plant name and the "bent" meaning crooked are unrelated words that happen to look identical. The word was then built in the ordinary way, by placing "bent" in front of "grass," so the compound simply means "grass of the bent." Its shape is plain, but the name records an older English vocabulary of grasses that has largely faded from everyday speech.