awn
1
9.9
A thin, stiff hair that grows from the seeds of grasses like wheat or barley
- noun
- /ɔn/
- Specialized
:
arista
- When examining the grass under a microscope, you could clearly see the tiny awns protruding from the bracts.
Examples
-
The plant's seeds were covered with long, slender awns that helped them catch in the fur of passing animals.
-
Welsh coll (beard of corn, awn, and husk) refers to the sharp, protective covering of the grain.
Academic text (1999) -
Like all meadow oat seeds, it had a twisted awn protruding from its back, which untwists and drives the seed beneath the soil when it rains.
Fiction book (1992) -
The awns of the cereal grains are important for their dispersal, as they attach to animals and help spread the seeds.
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word awn comes from an old German word for a 'bristle' or 'point'. Think of it as the little 'beard' on barley or wheat that sticks out, which is why awn means the thin, sharp part of grass seeds.