🌾 A hardy grass 🌱 A coarse weed

wire grass

7.2

A hardy North American grass that has stiff stems and pale brown leaves in autumn

noun
/ˈwaɪər ɡræs/

: hierba de alambre

Patches of wire grass spread across the meadow, their bronze color glowing in the autumn sun.

Examples

The nature trail runs through areas thick with wire grass and wildflowers.
Many animals thrive in areas with wire grass.
Many landscapers choose wire grass for its resilience and unique seasonal appearance.
The wire grass in our yard grows very quickly.
Many landscapers choose wire grass for its resilience and its distinctive appearance in the fall.
Patches of wire grass spread across the meadow, turning a beautiful bronze as autumn approaches.
The nature trail winds through a landscape dotted with wire grass, enhancing the beauty of the wildflowers.

Synonyms

prairie grass

vswire grass

1 3.5

A strong grass from North American prairies that turns bronze in autumn

is defined by stiff slender stems and does not stress prairie habitat

Schizachyrium scoparium

vswire grass

Specialized

9.9

A tough North American grass often called little bluestem with leaves that turn pale bronze in autumn

is a general hardy plant noted for stiff slender stems rather than species identity

Andropogon scoparius

vswire grass

Specialized

9.9

A hardy North American prairie grass with blue-green stems and leaves that turn bronze in autumn, also called little bluestem

emphasises stiff slender stems rather than blue green stem colouring

broom beard grass

vswire grass

9.6

A tough grass from North America with leaves that turn pale bronze in autumn

focuses on stiff slender stems rather than general attractiveness

wiregrass

vswire grass

7.4

A tough thin grass that grows in sandy dry areas and shelters animals

is a North American hardy plant with stiff slender stems rather than wiry form

Surface Forms

wire grass singular

wire grasses plural

Morphology

wire + grass

The meaning—a type of grass that is coarse or has wire-like stems—is directly inferable from combining 'wire' (metal thread; or the adjective sense 'wiry') with 'grass'. This noun–noun compounding pattern is transparent and common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely guess the referent even if they haven't seen the botanical term before.

Etymology

The plant name wire grass comes from the grass's thin, stiff stems that look like pieces of wire rather than soft blades of grass. So the name helps you remember this hardy plant with wiry stems that often turn pale bronze in autumn.