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.
The cows spent the whole day eating grass in the meadow behind the barn.
A patch of tall grass near the river hid the narrow path from view.
文法句型
uncountable noun
countable when referring to a species
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
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.
The groundskeeper marked the white lines on the grass before the football match began.
文法句型
uncountable noun
noun modifier (grass court, grass pitch)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
- clay
the slow, red-grit tennis surface
- hard court
acrylic-on-asphalt tennis surface
文法句型
on grass
grass season
用法筆記
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.
In many countries, selling grass is illegal and can lead to a prison sentence.
文法句型
uncountable noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
Dewi knew the boss would kill him if he found out he was a grass.
文法句型
countable noun
grass on someone (phrasal verb)
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
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.
文法句型
grass + animal
animal + be grassed on + land
用法筆記
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.
文法句型
grass + area
be grassed over
用法筆記
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.
文法句型
grass + (adverb)
show signs of grassing
用法筆記
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.
文法句型
grass on + person
grass to + authority
用法筆記
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.