Bristlegrass

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of grass characterized by stiff, hair-like spikes or awns; a plant found mostly in dry or arid regions with bristly seed heads; any grass species notable for their rough, prickly appearance
2. A grass species with rigid, spine-like projections; commonly grows in open, sunlit habits with coarse-textured flowers; any plant distinguished by its sharp, bristle-covered stems or seeds
3. A botanical grass known for its tough, needle-like bristles; typically prevalent in grassland ecosystems with a harsh surface texture; grasses identified by the presence of stout, pointed bristles on their flowering parts

Etymology: Bristlegrass is about as transparent as English compounds get: it joins "bristle," a stiff hair or hair-like bristle, with "grass." The name describes the plant's most noticeable feature, the dense bristle-like structures that surround its flower spikelets and make the seed heads look spiky or hairy. "Bristle" itself comes from Old English "byrst," a word for a bristle or stiff hair, and "grass" is a native Old English word. Put together, the compound was a plain descriptive label for a grass whose seed heads look like a brush, and it needed no special coinage or story behind it beyond that picture.

Synonyms: Setaria, foxtail grass