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Glite Dictionary
Wiregrass

Wiregrass

1 8.8
A rural region in the southeastern United States covering parts of southern Alabama, southeastern Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle
  • proper noun
  • /ˈwaɪərˌɡræs/
  • US
: Wiregrass
  • Wiregrass, the dominant species of the wet savannas, blooms vigorously following a burn, but otherwise may not.

Examples

  • The tall, straight trees usually grow several feet apart, allowing such grasses as Beyrich threeawn (commonly known as wiregrass) to carpet the ground and create a beautiful parklike setting.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Their relationship grew when Stocker transferred from Wiregrass Ranch as a junior.

    Blog text (29)

  • This impoverished railroad honestly did its best to create farm prosperity in the Wiregrass region of Georgia.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The great core of the sprawling Atlantic coastal plain was commonly known as the "Rolling Wiregrass Country," a huge, egg-shaped expanse of more than ten thousand square miles.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The Gold Diggers came from Carroll County, the Foresters from Chatham, and the Wiregrass Rifles represented the flatlanders of Thomas County.

    Academic text (2009)

  • Michael Morris is a Southern Book Critics Circle Award finalist and the author of the acclaimed novels A Place Called Wiregrass, a Christy Award winner, and Slow Way Home, named one of the best novels of the year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

    Blog text (26)

  • Rails Through the Wiregrass: A History of the Georgia & Florida Railroad. By H. Roger Grant. (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 2006. Pp. 223. $36.00. ISBN 0-87580-365-2.)

    Academic text (2009)

  • The Wiregrass region is known for its beautiful landscapes and rich history in agriculture.

  • Many artists draw inspiration from the vibrant culture of the Wiregrass area in Alabama.

  • Tourists flock to the Wiregrass to experience its unique blend of Southern charm and natural beauty.

Surface Forms

Wiregrass main

Morphology

Wiregrass = wire + grass (semi-transparent) = wire + grass

The word is a straightforward compound 'wire' + 'grass' for the plant, but the place-name usage is a metonymic extension and not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Wiregrass comes from the name of a real grass with thin, stiff blades that look a little like wire, and the parts wire and grass mean 'thin metal' and 'plant'. So, Wiregrass now names the rural region in the southeastern United States where that grass grows a lot.