barnyard grass, for hay. south. panicum grus-galli. bent,
pasture and hay. agrostis, several species. bermuda grass,
pasture. south. cynodon dactylon. black bent. same as switch
grass below. blue bent, hay. north and west. andropogon
provincialis. blue grass, pasture. poa compressa. blue joint,
hay. northwest. aqropyrum glaucum. buffalo grass, grazing.
rocky mts., etc.
      a buchlo"e dectyloides.
      b same as grama grass below. bunch grass, grazing.
          far west. eriocoma, festuca, stips, etc. chess,
          or cheat, a weed. bromus secalinus, etc. couch
          grass. same as quick grass below. crab grass,
      a hay, in south. a weed, in north. panicum sanguinale.
      b pasture and hay. south. eleusine indica. darnel
      a bearded, a noxious weed. lolium temulentum.
      b common. same as rye grass below. drop seed, fair
          for forage and hay. muhlenbergia, several species.
          english grass. same as redtop below. fowl meadow
          grass.
      a pasture and hay. poa serotina.
      b hay, on moist land. gryceria nervata. gama grass,
          cut fodder. south. tripsacum dactyloides. grama
          grass, grazing. west and pacific slope. bouteloua
          oligostachya, etc. great bunch grass, pasture and
          hay. far west. festuca scabrella. guinea grass, hay.
          south. panicum jumentorum. herd's grass, in new
          england timothy, in pennsylvania and south redtop.
          indian grass. same as wood grass below. italian
          rye grass, forage and hay. lolium italicum. johnson
          grass, grazing and hay. south and southwest. sorghum
          halepense. kentucky blue grass, pasture. poa
          pratensis. lyme grass, coarse hay. south. elymus,
          several species. manna grass, pasture and hay.
          glyceria, several species. meadow fescue, pasture
          and hay. festuca elatior. meadow foxtail, pasture,
          hay, lawn. north. alopecurus pratensis. meadow
          grass, pasture, hay, lawn. poa, several species.
          mesquite grass, or muskit grass. same as grama grass
          above. nimble will, a kind of drop seed.
          muhlenbergia diffsa. orchard grass, pasture and hay.
          dactylis glomerata. porcupine grass, troublesome to
          sheep. northwest. stipa spartea. quaking grass,
          ornamental. briza media and maxima. quitch, or
          quick, grass, etc., a weed. agropyrum repens. ray
          grass. same as rye grass below. redtop, pasture
          and hay. agrostis vulgaris. red-topped buffalo
          grass, forage. northwest. poa tenuifolia. reed
          canary grass, of slight value. phalaris arundinacea.
          reed meadow grass, hay. north. glyceria aquatica.
          ribbon grass, a striped leaved form of reed canary
          grass. rye grass, pasture, hay. lolium perenne,
          var. seneca grass, fragrant basket work, etc. north.
          hierochloa borealis. sesame grass. same as gama
          grass above. sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native
          in northern europe and asia. festuca ovina. small
          reed grass, meadow pasture and hay. north. deyeuxia
          canadensis. spear grass, same as meadow grass
          above. squirrel-tail grass, troublesome to animals.
          seacoast and northwest. hordeum jubatum. switch
          grass, hay, cut young. panicum virgatum. timothy,
          cut young, the best of hay. north. phleum pratense.
          velvet grass, hay on poor soil. south. holcus
          lanatus. vernal grass, pasture, hay, lawn.
          anthoxanthum odoratum. wire grass, valuable in
          pastures. poa compressa. wood grass, indian grass,
          hay. chrysopogon nutans.
          1913 webster

   note: many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
         true grasses botanically considered, such as black
         grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
         1913 webster

   black grass, a kind of small rush juncus gerardi,
      growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.

   grass of the andes, an oat grass, the arrhenatherum
      avenaceum of europe.

   grass of parnassus, a plant of the genus parnassia
      growing in wet ground. the european species is parnassia
      palustris; in the united states there are several
      species.

   grass bass zool., the calico bass.

   grass bird, the dunlin.

   grass cloth, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
      grass-cloth plant.

   grass-cloth plant, a perennial herb of the nettle family
      boehmeria nivea syn. urtica nivea, which grows in
      sumatra, china, and assam, whose inner bark has fine and
      strong fibers suited for textile purposes.

   grass finch. zool.
      a a common american sparrow po"ocaetes
          gramineus; -- called also vesper sparrow and
          bay-winged bunting.
      b any australian finch, of the genus po"ephila, of
          which several species are known.

   grass lamb, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
      and giving rich milk.

   grass land, land kept in grass and not tilled.

   grass moth zool., one of many small moths of the genus
      crambus, found in grass.

   grass oil, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
      india from grasses of the genus andropogon, etc.; --
      used in perfumery under the name of citronella, ginger
      grass oil, lemon grass oil, essence of verbena etc.
      

   grass owl zool., a south african owl strix capensis.
      

   grass parrakeet zool., any of several species of
      australian parrots, of the genus euphemia; -- also
      applied to the zebra parrakeet.

   grass plover zool., the upland or field plover.

   grass poly bot., a species of willowwort lythrum
      hyssopifolia. --johnson.

   crass quit zool., one of several tropical american
      finches of the genus euetheia. the males have most of
      the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.

   grass snake. zool.
      a the common english, or ringed, snake tropidonotus
          natrix.
      b the common green snake of the northern united states.
          see green snake, under green.

   grass snipe zool., the pectoral sandpiper tringa
      maculata; -- called also jacksnipe in america.

   grass spider zool., a common spider agelena naevia,
      which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous when covered
      with dew.

   grass sponge zool., an inferior kind of commercial sponge
      from florida and the bahamas.

   grass table. arch. see earth table, under earth.

   grass vetch bot., a vetch lathyrus nissolia, with
      narrow grasslike leaves.

   grass widow. cf. prov. r. an unmarried mother, g.
      strohwittwe a mock widow, sw. graumsenka a grass widow.
      a an unmarried woman who is a mother. obs.
      b a woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
          prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
          husband. slang.

   grass wrack bot. eelgrass.

   to bring to grass mining., to raise, as ore, to the
      surface of the ground.

   to put to grass, to put out to grass, to put out to graze
      a season, as cattle.
      1913 webster
see also:
panicum grus-galli agrostis cynodon dactylon switch grass andropogon provincialis poa compressa 
aqropyrum glaucum buchlo"e dectyloides grama grass eriocoma festuca 
stips bromus secalinus quick grass panicum sanguinale eleusine indica 
lolium temulentum rye grass muhlenbergia poa serotina gryceria nervata 
tripsacum dactyloides bouteloua oligostachya festuca scabrella panicum jumentorum wood grass 
lolium italicum sorghum halepense poa pratensis elymus glyceria 
festuca elatior alopecurus pratensis poa muhlenbergia diffsa dactylis glomerata 
stipa spartea briza media maxima agropyrum repens agrostis vulgaris 
poa tenuifolia phalaris arundinacea glyceria aquatica reed canary grass lolium perenne 
hierochloa borealis gama grass festuca ovina deyeuxia canadensis meadow grass 
hordeum jubatum panicum virgatum phleum pratense holcus lanatus anthoxanthum odoratum 
chrysopogon nutans black grass juncus gerardi grass of the andes arrhenatherum avenaceum 
grass of parnassus parnassia parnassia palustris grass bass grass bird 
grass cloth grass-cloth plant boehmeria nivea urtica nivea grass finch 
po"ocaetes gramineus vesper sparrow bay-winged bunting po"ephila grass lamb 
grass land grass moth crambus grass oil andropogon 
citronella ginger grass oil lemon grass oil essence of verbena grass owl 
strix capensis grass parrakeet euphemia grass plover grass poly 
lythrum hyssopifolia crass quit euetheia grass snake tropidonotus natrix 
green snake green grass snipe tringa maculata jacksnipe 
grass spider agelena naevia grass sponge grass table earth table 
earth grass vetch lathyrus nissolia grass widow grass wrack 
to bring to grass to put to grass to put out to grass 

velvet \vel"vet\, n. oe. velouette, veluet, velwet; cf. of.
   velluau, ll. velluetum, vellutum, it. velluto, sp. velludo;
   all fr. assumed ll. villutus shaggy, fr l. villus shaggy
   hair; akin to vellus a fleece, and e. wool. see wool, and
   cf. villous.
   1913 webster
   1. a silk fabric, having a short, close nap of erect threads.
      inferior qualities are made with a silk pile on a cotton
      or linen back, or with other soft fibers such as nylon,
      acetate, or rayon.
      1913 webster + pjc

   2. the soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops
      and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid
      growth.
      1913 webster

   3. something likened to velvet1 in being soft or luxurious;
      as, a lawn of velvet.
      pjc

   cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton.

   velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark, supple, elastic,
      and not woody or porous.

   velvet crab zool., a european crab portunus puber.
      when adult the black carapace is covered with a velvety
      pile. called also lady crab, and velvet fiddler.

   velvet dock bot., the common mullein.

   velvet duck. zool.
      a a large european sea duck, or scoter oidemia
          fusca. the adult male is glossy, velvety black, with
          a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch
          behind each eye.
      b the american whitewinged scoter. see scoter.

   velvet flower bot., love-lies-bleeding. see under love.
      

   velvet grass bot., a tall grass holcus lanatus with
      velvety stem and leaves; -- called also soft grass.

   velvet runner zool., the water rail; -- so called from
      its quiet, stealthy manner of running. prov. eng.

   velvet scoter. zool. same as velvet duck, above.

   velvet sponge. zool. see under sponge.

   in velvet having a coating of velvet2 over the antlers;
      in the annual stage where the antlers are still growing;
      -- of deer.
      1913 webster + pjc
see also:
wool villous cotton velvet velvet cork velvet crab portunus puber 
lady crab velvet fiddler velvet dock velvet duck oidemia fusca 
scoter velvet flower love velvet grass holcus lanatus 
soft grass velvet runner velvet scoter velvet sponge sponge 
in velvet 

holcus lanatus
     n : tall european perennial grass having a velvety stem;
         naturalized in united states and used for forage syn: velvet
         grass, yorkshire fog
see also:
velvet grass yorkshire fog