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Glite Dictionary
lyme grass

lyme grass

8.1
A coarse grass that grows on sandy shores and keeps sand in place
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : hierba de Lyme
  • Farmers often plant lyme grass on dunes to prevent soil erosion along the coast.

Examples

  • The sandy beach was covered in patches of lyme grass, providing a habitat for various insects.

  • During our walk along the shore, we admired the tall stalks of lyme grass swaying in the breeze.

  • Most islands were originally stabilized by beach plants and giant lyme grass that reached nearly five feet, which the horses loved. The high salt content attracted many other grazing animals as well.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

Elymus arenarius
vslyme grass
  • Specialized
9.9

A grass that grows on sandy coasts and helps keep sand from being carried away by wind or water

is a coarse perennial from the same genus common on dunes
sea lyme grass
vslyme grass
  • US
8.2

A tough grass that grows on sand near the sea to hold the dunes in place

is broader as a coarse perennial across sandy coasts and not only Pacific
European dune grass
vslyme grass
  • UK
7.7

A grass from Europe that grows on sand and holds dunes together

is a coarse perennial that occurs on sandy coasts worldwide rather than just Europe

Surface Forms

lyme grass singular
lyme grasses plural

Morphology

lyme + grass

Although 'grass' is transparent, the modifier 'lyme' has no common lexical meaning for learners (no dictionary sense here) and functions as a specific botanical/place-derived label. The compound is a species name referring to a particular coastal grass, so its specific meaning is not predictable from the parts and would be unfamiliar to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Lyme grass gets its name from the town of Lyme on the English coast, where this tough grass grows on sandy dunes. Its long roots 'hold' the sand in place and protect the shore, so the name reminds us of the plant used to keep coasts from washing away.