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Glite Dictionary
western wheatgrass

western wheatgrass

6.1
A grass that lives many years in western North America and that farm animals eat
  • noun
  • /ˈwɛstərn ˈwiːtˌɡræs/
  • US
translation icon : hierba de trigo occidental
  • The resilient western wheatgrass can thrive in various soil types, making it a popular choice for ranchers.
  • western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii)

Examples

  • Seed heads of various native grasses (left to right): western wheatgrass, Snake River wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, Great Basin wildrye, squirreltail, and green needlegrass.

    Academic text (2000)

  • PHOTO: To determine growth activity, rangeland scientist Marshall Haferkamp measures the water status of a western wheatgrass plant. (K5683-1)

    Academic text (1994)

  • Warm-season grasses are most productive during the summer months, while cool-season grasses like western wheatgrass, Pascopyrum smithii, grow in spring and fall.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Farmers often plant western wheatgrass because it provides excellent forage for their livestock.

  • During the spring, western wheatgrass quickly grows, offering nutritious feed for grazing animals.

Synonyms

Agropyron smithii
vswestern wheatgrass
  • Specialized
8.8

A grass used to feed animals like cows and keep soil in place in the western United States

is the common forage name focusing mainly on livestock feed

Surface Forms

western wheatgrass singular
western wheatgrasses plural

Morphology

western + wheatgrass

The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'western' indicates geographic origin and 'wheatgrass' names a type of grass, so the meaning 'wheatgrass from the west / native to western regions' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is common and predictable across languages, so learners who know the constituent words can readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Western wheatgrass gets its name from a simple picture: it is a kind of wheatgrass, a grass whose top looks like wheat, that grows in the western parts of North America. That's why the name tells you it is a grass used as 'forage' or food for farm animals.