Feathergrass

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Any of several tufted grasses of the genus Stipa, whose seeds have long, feathery bristles that twist as they dry
2. A wild or ornamental grass bearing slender, plume-like seed awns, found in dry grasslands and steppes
3. A perennial grass with fine, feathery seed tails, valued in gardens and prairies for its airy, drifting appearance

Etymology: Feathergrass is a plain compound: "feather" joined to "grass," describing a grass whose seeds or awns are long, fine and feathery. The name refers to the plumose awns of the seed heads, which trail off the grain and look like a bird's down. The compound is transparent, and its two parts are both old English words, so there is no hidden detour through another language to unpick. The usual name for the plants is the genus Stipa, whose members are called feather grasses in English. That is the sense the word carries in ordinary use, and the image is literal: the feathery awn is what gives the plant its name.

Synonyms: needlegrass