cocksfoot

9.9

A tall grass that grows in clumps and farmers grow for hay and animal feed

noun
/ˈkɒksfʊt/

: pasto de cocksfoot

Dairy cattle thrive on hay made from cocksfoot because of its high nutritional value.

Examples

The farmer planted cocksfoot to improve the quality of the pasture for his sheep.
Cocksfoot is resistant to drought and can survive in poor soil conditions.
The field was covered in lush cocksfoot.
Many farmers prefer cocksfoot for its drought resistance.
In many regions, cocksfoot is cultivated for its ability to thrive in poor soil.
Farmers prefer cocksfoot grass because it grows well in a variety of soil types.
To create a healthy lawn, many gardeners choose to mix cocksfoot with other grass seeds.

Synonyms

Dactylis glomerata

vscocksfoot

Specialized

8.6

A common strong grass grown for hay and animal feed

is the common name used more broadly for that tall tufted grass

orchard grass

vscocksfoot

6.1

A strong grass grown for hay to feed farm animals

is another common name for the same plant

Dactylis

vscocksfoot

Specialized

9.4

A grass that comes back every year and is grown to feed farm animals often called orchard grass

refers to one tall tufted species rather than the whole genus

Surface Forms

cocksfoot singular

cocksfoots plural

Morphology

cocksfoot = cock + foot (semi-transparent) = cock + foot

The compound is a literal combination of 'cock' + 'foot', but the referent is a specific tufted grass named by metaphor, which is not directly inferable by learners.

Etymology

The word cocksfoot comes from the old English parts cock 'rooster' and foot 'foot', because the tall, tufted seed heads look like a rooster's foot. That's why cocksfoot is the name for a grass that grows in clumps and is used for hay and pasture.