sword-grassn.
a. A name for several different plants with sword-shaped leaves, as the sword-lily (Gladiolus), Arenaria (Spergularia) segetalis, Melilotus segetalis or sulcata, and various grasses and sedges, as the reed canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea, Arundo conspicua of New Zealand, and Cladium psittacorum of Australia.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > a grass or grasses > [noun] > phalaris grasses
grass corn1548
phalaris1548
Canary seed1578
Canary grass1597
chameleon grass1597
lady's laces1597
painted grass1597
sword-grass1598
silver grass1600
Canary1723
reed canary grass1762
ribbon grass1786
gardener's garters1820
dagger-grass1834
daggers1847
bride's laces1854
canary reed1884
the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > a grass or grasses > reedy or aquatic grasses > [noun] > names applied to various aquatic grasses
starc1300
flaga1387
water grass1585
sword-grass1598
spire-grass1626
star-grass1782
slough grass1861
slough hay1934
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > iris and related flowers > gladioli or freesia
gladiolec1420
corn-flag1578
corn-sedge1597
lily-grass1597
sword-grass1598
petty gladdon1601
sword-lily1786
Afrikaner1801
freesia1879
kalkoentjie1906
painted lady1906
Afrikander1913
glad1923
1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Gladolo, an herbe called great Galangall or swordgrasse.
1647 H. Hexham Copious Eng. & Netherduytch Dict. (Herbs) Sedge, or Sword-grasse, water-lisch.
1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Acorus The false Acorus is the common Sword-grass.
1749 [see sense b]. 1823 Blackwood's Mag. 14 190 A sort of long sword-grass that grows about marshes and the sides of lakes.
1832 Ld. Tennyson New Year's Eve vii, in Poems (new ed.) 98 When..the summer airs blow cool, On the oatgrass and the swordgrass, and the bulrush in the pool.
1859 R. G. Mayne Expos. Lexicon Med. Sci. (1860) Sword-grass, common name for the Phasganium.
1872 A. Domett Ranolf & Amohia x. ii. 172 The great plumes far and wide of the sword-grass aspire.
b. attributive in collectors' names for moths of the genus Calocampa.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > Heterocera > [noun] > family Caradrinidae > member of genus Calocampa
sword-grass1749
1749 B. Wilkes Eng. Moths & Butterflies 8 The Sword~grass moth. Mr. Rosel informs us, That the Caterpillar of this Fly feeds on the Orache;..I once took one of these Caterpillars, full grown, feeding on the Sword-grass in the Marshes at Rotherhith.
1832 J. Rennie Conspectus Butterflies & Moths Brit. 65 The Sword Grass (C[alocampa] exoleta..) appears in April or May, and the middle of October.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1919; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
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