barn grass

8.3

A common weed grass that farmers sometimes cut for hay or feed animals

noun
/bɑrn ɡræs/

: hierba de granero

Farmers sometimes harvest barn grass for hay when better options are scarce.

Examples

Weeds like barn grass can compete with crops for nutrients and water.
The field was overrun with barn grass after the heavy rains of spring.
The barn grass grows rapidly in wet areas.
Farmers often struggle with barn grass in their fields.
Farmers sometimes harvest barn grass for hay when better options are scarce.
The field was overrun with barn grass after the heavy rains of spring.
Weeds like barn grass can compete with crops for nutrients and water.

Synonyms

Echinochloa crusgalli

vsbarn grass

Specialized

9.9

A coarse grass that grows each year as a common weed worldwide and is sometimes used for animal feed

is the common name used instead of the Latin species name

barnyard grass

vsbarn grass

Specialized

7.5

A common wild grass that grows in wet farm fields and that animals sometimes eat

is broader applying globally and not only to moist cultivated areas

Surface Forms

barn grass singular

barn grasses plural

Morphology

barn + grass

This noun–noun compound is directly compositional: 'barn' modifies 'grass' to indicate a type or grass associated with barns (e.g. used for hay or found near barns). A B1 learner who knows 'barn' and 'grass' can readily infer it denotes a kind of grass related to barns or farming even if they don't know the exact species.

Etymology

The noun barn grass names the rough grass that grew beside the barn on farms. Farmers would cut it for 'hay' or let animals 'graze' on it, and because it grows wild in fields it is often called a 'weed'.