grass
grass — noun
1. a type of plant that stays close to the ground and has very thin green leaves, c
a type of plant that stays close to the ground and has very thin green leaves, covering large areas in gardens, parks, and fields. Its stems and leaves are the main food for cows, sheep, and other animals that feed in open land.
Mira sat on the soft grass under a big oak tree and started reading.
collocation: sit on the grass
The gardener cut the grass every Saturday morning before the children came to play.
collocation: cut / mow the grass
After the long dry summer, most of the grass in the field had turned brown.
grass turns brown / dies
The cows spent the whole day eating grass in the meadow behind the barn.
cows eat grass; uncountable usage
A patch of tall grass near the river hid the narrow path from view.
- blade of grass
- patch of grass
- cut the grass
- mow the grass
- sit on the grass
- eat grass
- walk on the grass
Grammar Patterns
uncountable noun
countable when referring to a species
Usage Note
Usually uncountable. Use a blade of grass or a patch of grass rather than 'a grass' when referring to a specific instance. Countable only when listing botanical varieties ('a type of grass' or 'grasses').
Common Mistakes
2. a flat outdoor surface where short grass has been planted to create a field for
a flat outdoor surface where short grass has been planted to create a field for sports like football, tennis, or cricket, or a track for horse racing.
Minho scored the winning goal as the match moved to the grass pitch.
collocation: grass pitch
The horse slipped slightly on the wet grass, but the jockey quickly steadied it.
Jessica prefers playing tennis on grass rather than on clay because the ball bounces lower.
play tennis on grass; count noun modifier
The groundskeeper marked the white lines on the grass before the football match began.
collocation: mark lines on the grass
- grass court
- grass pitch
- grass track
- play on grass
- wet grass
- grass surface
Grammar Patterns
uncountable noun
noun modifier (grass court, grass pitch)
Usage Note
Often used as a modifier before a sport noun (grass court, grass pitch, grass track). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense emphasises the surface as a playing area rather than the plant itself.
Common Mistakes
3. in tennis, the short period of the year when professional tournaments are played
in tennis, the short period of the year when professional tournaments are played on grass courts, known for fast play and low bounces.
Wimbledon is the most famous tennis tournament played on grass every summer.
collocation: Wimbledon is played on grass
Mauricio trained on clay all spring to prepare for the switch to grass in June.
switch to grass; zero article before 'grass' here
The young player has a powerful serve that works especially well on grass.
Winning five titles on grass made her the top player of that summer season.
collocation: titles on grass
- play on grass
- grass season
- grass court
- win on grass
- title on grass
- clay
the slow, red-grit tennis surface
- hard court
acrylic-on-asphalt tennis surface
Grammar Patterns
on grass
grass season
Usage Note
This sense is almost exclusively used in tennis contexts and often appears without an article ('play on grass'). It contrasts with 'clay' and 'hard court' as the three main tennis surface types. Frequently used in phrases like 'the grass season' or 'grass-court specialist.'
4. an informal word for cannabis or marijuana, used as a recreational drug that peo
an informal word for cannabis or marijuana, used as a recreational drug that people smoke or eat.
The police found a small amount of grass in his jacket pocket during the search.
slang register
Caleb admitted that he had smoked grass a few times in college.
The smell of burning grass drifted from the apartment upstairs late at night.
collocation: smell of grass
In many countries, selling grass is illegal and can lead to a prison sentence.
slang register; selling / buying grass
- smoke grass
- buy grass
- sell grass
- amount of grass
Grammar Patterns
uncountable noun
Usage Note
Slang term. Less common in formal writing or official contexts than 'cannabis' or 'marijuana.' Avoid in academic or professional settings. This sense is unrelated to sense 1 (the plant) — the two meanings are distinct homonyms for learners to recognise.
Common Mistakes
5. someone involved in illegal activities who provides details about other criminal
someone involved in illegal activities who provides details about other criminals to the police, typically hoping to receive a shorter sentence or payment in return.
The gang suspected that one of their own was a grass talking to the police.
slang; a grass (countable)
Omar refused to become a grass even when the detective offered him a reduced sentence.
In prison, someone labelled a grass is often kept apart from the other inmates.
labelled a grass; slang register
Dewi knew the boss would kill him if he found out he was a grass.
- be a grass
- label someone a grass
- grass on
Grammar Patterns
countable noun
grass on someone (phrasal verb)
Usage Note
Strongly informal and mainly British slang. Can be offensive when used about a person. Related to the verb sense 'grass on someone.' Not commonly used in American English, where 'informant' or 'snitch' is preferred.
Common Mistakes
used to say that other people's situations always seem better or more attractive than your own, even when they are not, which can make people unhappy with what they have.
Élise thought her friend's job was much more exciting, but her mother reminded her that the grass is always greener on the other side.
People who move to another city hoping for a perfect life often discover that the grass is always greener.
a snake in the grass
idioma person who pretends to be your friend but secretly cannot be trusted and may betray you.
Nia trusted her colleague completely, only to discover later that he was a snake in the grass who had stolen her client list.
Be careful who you share your plans with — there may be a snake in the grass among your own team.
to act quickly and without delay; to not waste time before doing something that needs to be done.
When the job opportunity came up, Christopher did not let the grass grow under his feet and applied the same day.
The team did not let the grass grow under their feet and started building the prototype right after the meeting.
to force or allow someone to retire from their job, especially because they are considered too old to continue working effectively.
After forty years with the company, the old manager was put out to grass despite still having good ideas.
Some companies put older engineers out to grass far too early instead of using their experience.
to delay dealing with a difficult issue or decision, often by moving it into a committee or setting it aside until people forget about it.
The government kicked the pension reform into the long grass by setting up yet another review committee.
Instead of solving the problem, the manager kicked it into the long grass and hoped nobody would notice.
This phrase means that people often think other situations are better than their own, even when they are not.
Maya thought the grass was greener at her friend's school, but she soon missed her old classes.
Why do you always believe the grass is greener on the other side? Your job is great.
This means to delay dealing with a problem or to ignore it completely.
The manager kicked the budget issue into the long grass until next quarter.
Instead of solving the dispute, they kicked it into touch and hoped it would disappear.
This means to force someone to stop working, usually because they are too old.
After forty years of service, the company put old Mr. Chen out to grass.
They put the veteran teacher out to grass despite her excellent record.
This describes a person who pretends to be friendly but is actually dishonest and untrustworthy.
Diego thought he had a loyal friend, but that snake in the grass betrayed his secret.
Be careful of Sara; she's a snake in the grass who smiles while plotting against you.
grass — verb
1. to put farm animals such as cows, sheep, or horses onto an area of grass so that
to put farm animals such as cows, sheep, or horses onto an area of grass so that they can feed on it, usually as their main source of food.
The farmer grasses his sheep on the hillside every spring when the new growth appears.
In winter, the cattle are grassed on the lower fields where the snow melts first.
passive: are grassed on + land
Adisa grassed the horses on the meadow after repairing the broken fence.
The cattle were grassed on the upper field all summer, giving them plenty of fresh mountain grass.
passive: cattle + be grassed on + land
- grass sheep on
- grass cattle on
- be grassed on
Grammar Patterns
grass + animal
animal + be grassed on + land
Usage Note
Rare in everyday conversation. More commonly expressed as 'put the animals out to grass' or 'turn the animals out to pasture.' Frequently passive: 'the cattle are grassed on the upper field.'
2. to cover an area of bare ground by planting grass seed or laying turf so that it
to cover an area of bare ground by planting grass seed or laying turf so that it becomes a lawn or grassy surface.
The landscape company grassed the entire back garden using rolls of turf.
The old car park was grassed over and turned into a small park for the neighbourhood.
collocation: grassed over
We plan to grass the muddy area behind the house so the children can play there.
The construction site was grassed over once the building work was finished.
passive: was grassed over
- grass over
- grass an area
- be grassed
Grammar Patterns
grass + area
be grassed over
Usage Note
Most common in the phrasal form 'grass over' (cover an area with grass as a finish). Frequently passive. In everyday conversation, 'plant grass' or 'lay turf' is more common.
3. used to describe ground that is beginning to produce grass, especially after it
used to describe ground that is beginning to produce grass, especially after it has been seeded or after a period without growth.
The field has begun to grass nicely after the first spring rain.
The bare patches in the lawn are finally starting to grass where we scattered the seed.
collocation: start to grass
If the weather stays warm, the hillside should grass within two or three weeks.
The new lawn is just beginning to grass in the spots that got the most sunlight.
- start to grass
- begin to grass
- grass quickly
Grammar Patterns
grass + (adverb)
show signs of grassing
Usage Note
Very rare in modern English. Almost never used in everyday speech — 'grow grass' or 'come up' are the natural alternatives. You are more likely to encounter this sense in gardening manuals than in conversation.
4. to tell the police or another authority about something illegal that someone has
to tell the police or another authority about something illegal that someone has done, especially when you are involved in criminal activities yourself.
One of the burglars grassed on his partners to get a lighter sentence from the judge.
grass on + person
The gang leader warned that anyone who grassed to the police would face serious consequences.
grass to + authority
Apinya refused to grass on her friends even when the detective pressured her for hours.
In the criminal world, people who grass are often seen as the lowest of the low.
collocation: people who grass
- grass on someone
- grass to the police
- grass on a friend
Grammar Patterns
grass on + person
grass to + authority
Usage Note
Informal British slang. Used with 'on' (specify the person) or 'to' (specify the authority): 'grass on a friend,' 'grass to the police.' Related to the noun sense 5 (a grass = a police informer). In US English, 'snitch' is the equivalent verb.
Common Mistakes
grass over
phrasal verbto cover a piece of ground with grass, either by planting seeds or by laying turf, in order to make it look neat.
Trang and her husband decided to grass over the muddy path beside the house to make the garden look cleaner.
The builders grassed over the area where the old shed had stood for years.
grass up
phrasal verbto report someone's criminal activity to the police, often used in informal British English.
Nobody in the neighbourhood would grass him up even though everyone knew what he had done.
Leo was afraid that his former partner would grass him up to avoid going to prison alone.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Lawn refers to cultivated grass around a house that is regularly mowed — it implies human care and short, even length. Turf is grass plus its root system, often sold in rolls for instant lawns; it can also refer to a sports surface ('artificial turf'). Pasture is grassland used for grazing livestock, usually rougher and not mowed. Hay is grass that has been cut, dried, and stored as animal feed — it is no longer living. Weed is a broader category: any unwanted plant growing where it is not wanted, not limited to grass. Example: 'The lawn was covered in dandelions, so she pulled the weeds out and laid fresh turf.' Use lawn for domestic gardens, turf for professional landscaping or sports, pasture for farming, hay for animal feed, and weed for the nuisance plants among them.
Common collocations
Nouns
- blade of grass
- patch of grass
- clump of grass
- strip of grass
- field of grass
Phrases
- grass court
- grass pitch
- grass seed
- grass roots
Prepositions
- on the grass
- in the grass
- through the grass
- over the grass
Etymology
Grass comes from Old English græs, which is related to the idea of 'growing' or 'greening.' The word can be traced back through Proto-Germanic *grasą to the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰreH₁- meaning 'to grow' or 'to become green.' This same ancient root also gave us the word 'green' (through Old English grēne). The slang meaning 'marijuana' dates from the 1930s, while the British criminal slang for 'police informer' emerged in the mid-20th century, possibly from rhyming slang 'grasshopper' → 'copper' (police officer).