smut grass

9.9

A grass with thin stiff stems often covered by dark fungus

noun

: hierba de la negrilla

The smut grass in the field was covered with a black fungus after the heavy rains.

Examples

Farmers struggle to control the spread of smut grass in their pastures.
Researchers are studying ways to prevent fungal infection in smut grass.
The smut grass covers the field.
Many farmers struggle with smut grass in their pastures.
Farmers struggle to control the spread of smut grass in their pastures.
The smut grass in the field was covered with a black fungus after the heavy rains.
Researchers are studying ways to prevent fungal infection in smut grass.

Synonyms

blackseed

vssmut grass

9.9

A grass from the West Indies that often has dark fungus on its stems

has the same meaning but uses a different regional name

Sporobolus poiretii

vssmut grass

Specialized

9.9

A type of grass with thin stems that grow in small clumps from the southern United States and West Indies

is the general common term rather than a scientific label

carpet grass

vssmut grass

7.0

A grass that grows in thick mats and is used for lawns and golf courses

refers to the same grass but not restricted to mat forming growth

Surface Forms

smut grass singular

smut grasses plural

Morphology

smut + grass

The compound is compositionally built from 'smut' (a fungal disease) + 'grass' (a plant), so the meaning can be inferred as a type of grass characterized by or afflicted with smut. Noun–noun compounds of this kind are productive and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to deduce the intended referent.

Etymology

Smut grass may come from the word smut, meaning 'black fungus' or 'soot', and grass for the plant. Picture a patch of grass covered in dark, dust-like spots as if splashed with soot; that image explains why the name refers to grass often infected with a dark fungus.