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Glite Dictionary
reed grass

reed grass

5.6
A tall grass with feathery flower heads that grows near rivers and marshes
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : hierba de juncos
  • The ground crept by in the tank's image, the clumps of thick-leafed small jades that dominated the area around Lowlands gradually giving way to stands of giant jade and tree-tall reed grass.

Examples

  • In the wetland, the tall reed grass swayed gently in the breeze, creating a serene atmosphere.

  • Reed mace, narrow-leaved smaller varieties of cattail, rushes, ferns, and even the bay willow brush that eventually became trees grew along the edges, but extremely tall reed grass, reaching twelve feet in height, was the primary vegetation.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I spent afternoons sitting deep in reed grass, the soft heads cottony above me and the sheaved khaki stalks rustling in the wind, the stir natural and not forced by publicity.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • As we walked through the marsh, we spotted a family of ducks nestled among the thick stands of reed grass.

  • The reed grass provided a natural habitat for various birds, making it a popular spot for birdwatching.

Synonyms

Calamagrostis
vsreed grass
  • Specialized
9.9

A type of grass that grows in wet areas like marshes and meadows

is the common term for those grasses rather than the scientific genus name
feather reed grass
vsreed grass
7.6

A tall garden grass with feathery flower spikes used for decoration

applies to plants of this type when found naturally in marshes and wet woodlands
Calamagrostis acutiflora
vsreed grass
  • Specialized
9.9

A tall grass that lives for many years and is grown in gardens

covers many related species commonly found across temperate wetlands

Surface Forms

reed grass singular
reed grasses plural

Morphology

reed + grass

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'reed' specifies the kind of 'grass' (a marsh/tall grass). A B1 learner who knows 'reed' (tall marsh plant) and 'grass' (narrow-leaved lawn/field plants) can directly infer the meaning as a type of grass resembling reeds, so the composition is fully transparent.

Etymology

Reed grass is a simple compound name: it is a grass that looks like a reed, with long stems and feathery tops that often grow in 'wet places'. That's why the name refers to those tall, marsh-growing grasses.