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Glite Dictionary
yellow foxtail

yellow foxtail

8.2
A common grass weed with bristly yellow seed heads that grows in fields and gardens
  • noun
  • /ˈjɛloʊ ˈfɑksteɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cola de zorro amarilla
  • You can identify yellow foxtail by its bristly, yellow-tipped seed heads.

Examples

  • The field was overrun with yellow foxtail, making it difficult for crops to grow.

  • Many gardeners consider yellow foxtail a persistent and troublesome weed.

  • The yellow foxtail grows abundantly in my garden.

  • Many farmers consider yellow foxtails a nuisance.

  • The field was overrun with yellow foxtail, making it difficult for crops to grow.

  • Many gardeners consider yellow foxtail a persistent and troublesome weed.

  • You can identify yellow foxtail by its bristly, yellow-tipped seed heads.

Synonyms

Setaria glauca
vsyellow foxtail
  • Specialized
9.9

A common bristly grass with yellow flower heads like a fox tail that often grows as a weed

is the common name used for that widespread bristly grass
yellow bristlegrass
vsyellow foxtail
9.9

A common grass that grows as a weed in fields with bristly seed heads

is used more broadly for the weed across nearly all temperate regions

Surface Forms

yellow foxtail singular
yellow foxtails plural

Morphology

yellow + foxtail

This is a straightforward color + noun compound: the phrase denotes a foxtail (a type of grass with bristly flowering spikes) that is yellow. Color + noun compounds are highly compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The plant called yellow foxtail gets its name because its bristly, yellow seed head looks like a fox's tail. That's why the name now refers to this common 'weed'.