crowfoot grass

8.4

A creeping grass with spiky heads like a bird's foot that often grows as a weed

noun

: pasto de patas de gallo

The spiky heads of crowfoot grass resemble the shape of a bird’s foot.

Examples

The crowfoot grass spreads quickly in warm climates.
Farmers often regard crowfoot grass as a troublesome weed in their fields.
Crowfoot grass can spread quickly and overtake garden beds if not managed.
Many gardeners consider crowfoot grass a nuisance.
Crowfoot grass can spread quickly and overtake garden beds if not managed.
Farmers often regard crowfoot grass as a troublesome weed in their fields.
Many gardeners consider crowfoot grass a nuisance due to its rapid growth.

Synonyms

Dactyloctenium aegypticum

vscrowfoot grass

Specialized

9.9

A low grass with finger-like spikes used as ground cover and animal feed

is a general creeping grass not limited to a single scientific species

Egyptian grass

vscrowfoot grass

9.0

A creeping grass with finger-like spikes used for grazing in dry places

is broader, found across warm regions rather than only tropical areas

Surface Forms

crowfoot grass singular

crowfoot grasses plural

Morphology

crowfoot + grass

The compound 'crowfoot grass' straightforwardly names a type of grass characterized by a 'crowfoot'-like shape; a learner who knows 'crowfoot' (a plant with bird- or finger-like leaves) and 'grass' can infer it is a grass with that morphology. This noun–noun compounding is a common, compositional pattern for plant names and is therefore immediately comprehensible to learners.

Etymology

The plant crowfoot grass gets its name from its spiky heads: they look like a bird's foot, like a crow's foot, and the grass creeps and spreads across the ground. That's why the name refers to a fast-growing grass often called a 'weed'.