shear-grassn.
/ˈʃɪəɡrɑːs/, /ˈʃɪəɡras/, U.S. /ˈʃɪ(ə)rˌɡræs/ A name popularly applied to several kinds of sharp-edged grass or sedge, which are apt to cut the mouths of grazing animals or the hands of a person gathering them. Now only dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > a grass or grasses > [noun] > names applied to various types of grass
windlestrawc1000
shear-grass1483
risp1508
sweet-grass1577
star grass1687
reesk1735
bluegrass1751
cheat1784
spear-grass1784
white top1803
prairie grass1812
elephant grass1832
ryegrass1845
wool-grass1854
snow-grass1865
quick1896
1483 Cath. Angl. 335/1 A Schergrysse (A. Scheregresse), carex.
1551 W. Turner New Herball sig. H v An herbe, whiche we cal in english segge, or shergresse.
1589 A. Fleming tr. Virgil Georgiks iii. 44 in A. Fleming tr. Virgil Bucoliks Fed with rough greene leaues, And sheere~grasse sharpe or sedge.
1631 J. Smith Advts. Planters New-Eng. xii. 27 You may have harsh sheare-grasse enough to make hay of.
1790 W. Marshall Agric. Provincialisms in Rural Econ. Midland Counties II. 442 Sharegrass, carix hirta; a species of sedge.
1799 A. Young Gen. View Agric. County Lincoln 168 It makes a soil produce a crop of hay, which naturally would only feed rabbits by shar grass.
1884 W. Miller Dict. Eng. Names Plants 57/2 Shear or Shere Grass. Cladium Mariscus; also some species of Carex.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1483