crab grass


noun

an annual grass, Digitaria sanguinalis, common in cultivated and waste grounds and often occurring as a pest weed in lawns.

Origin of crab grass

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example sentences from the Web for crab grass

  • It was autumn, and streaks of gray could be seen in the crab-grass.

    Up Terrapin River |Opie P. Read
  • In my opinion, crab-grass would answer well for pasture-grass in moist situations.

  • In the economy of farmers entirely up against the crab-grass in the cotton-patch, the mule is mightier than the sword.

    Oklahoma Sunshine |Freeman E. (Freeman Edwin) Miller

British Dictionary definitions for crab grass

crab grass

noun

any of several coarse weedy grasses of the genus Digitaria, which grow in warm regions and tend to displace other grasses in lawns