Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
{To run wild}, to go unrestrained or untamed; to live or
untamed; to live or grow without culture or training.
{To sow one's wild oats}. See under {Oat}.
{Wild allspice}. (Bot.), spicewood.
{Wild balsam apple} (Bot.), an American climbing
cucurbitaceous plant ({Echinocystis lobata}).
{Wild basil} (Bot.), a fragrant labiate herb ({Calamintha
Clinopodium}) common in Europe and America.
{Wild bean} (Bot.), a name of several leguminous plants,
mostly species of {Phaseolus} and {Apios}.
{Wild bee} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
undomesticated social bees, especially the domestic bee
when it has escaped from domestication and built its nest
in a hollow tree or among rocks.
{Wild bergamot}. (Bot.) See under {Bergamot}.
{Wild boar} (Zo["o]l.), the European wild hog ({Sus scrofa}),
from which the common domesticated swine is descended.
{Wild brier} (Bot.), any uncultivated species of brier. See
{Brier}.
{Wild bugloss} (Bot.), an annual rough-leaved plant
({Lycopsis arvensis}) with small blue flowers.
{Wild camomile} (Bot.), one or more plants of the composite
genus {Matricaria}, much resembling camomile.
{Wild cat}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A European carnivore ({Felis catus}) somewhat
resembling the domestic cat, but larger stronger, and
having a short tail. It is destructive to the smaller
domestic animals, such as lambs, kids, poultry, and
the like.
(b) The common American lynx, or bay lynx.
(c) (Naut.) A wheel which can be adjusted so as to revolve
either with, or on, the shaft of a capstan. --Luce.
{Wild celery}. (Bot.) See {Tape grass}, under {Tape}.
{Wild cherry}. (Bot.)
(a) Any uncultivated tree which bears cherries. The wild
red cherry is {Prunus Pennsylvanica}. The wild black
cherry is {P. serotina}, the wood of which is much
used for cabinetwork, being of a light red color and a
compact texture.
(b) The fruit of various species of {Prunus}.
{Wild cinnamon}. See the Note under {Canella}.
{Wild comfrey} (Bot.), an American plant ({Cynoglossum
Virginicum}) of the Borage family. It has large bristly
leaves and small blue flowers.
{Wild cumin} (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant
({Lag[oe]cia cuminoides}) native in the countries about
the Mediterranean.
{Wild drake} (Zo["o]l.) the mallard.
{Wild elder} (Bot.), an American plant ({Aralia hispida}) of
the Ginseng family.
{Wild fowl} (Zo["o]l.) any wild bird, especially any of those
considered as game birds.
{Wild goose} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
undomesticated geese, especially the Canada goose ({Branta
Canadensis}), the European bean goose, and the graylag.
See {Graylag}, and {Bean goose}, under {Bean}.
{Wild goose chase}, the pursuit of something unattainable, or
of something as unlikely to be caught as the wild goose.
--Shak.
{Wild honey}, honey made by wild bees, and deposited in
trees, rocks, the like.
{Wild hyacinth}. (Bot.) See {Hyacinth}, 1
(b) .
{Wild Irishman} (Bot.), a thorny bush ({Discaria Toumatou})
of the Buckthorn family, found in New Zealand, where the
natives use the spines in tattooing.
{Wild land}.
(a) Land not cultivated, or in a state that renders it
unfit for cultivation.
(b) Land which is not settled and cultivated.
{Wild licorice}. (Bot.) See under {Licorice}.
{Wild mammee} (Bot.), the oblong, yellowish, acid fruit of a
tropical American tree ({Rheedia lateriflora}); -- so
called in the West Indies.
{Wild marjoram} (Bot.), a labiate plant ({Origanum vulgare})
much like the sweet marjoram, but less aromatic.
{Wild oat}. (Bot.)
(a) A tall, oatlike kind of soft grass ({Arrhenatherum
avenaceum}).
(b) See {Wild oats}, under {Oat}.
{Wild pieplant} (Bot.), a species of dock ({Rumex
hymenosepalus}) found from Texas to California. Its acid,
juicy stems are used as a substitute for the garden
rhubarb.
{Wild pigeon}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The rock dove.
(b) The passenger pigeon.
{Wild pink} (Bot.), an American plant ({Silene
Pennsylvanica}) with pale, pinkish flowers; a kind of
catchfly.
{Wild plantain} (Bot.), an arborescent endogenous herb
({Heliconia Bihai}), much resembling the banana. Its
leaves and leaf sheaths are much used in the West Indies
as coverings for packages of merchandise.
{Wild plum}. (Bot.)
(a) Any kind of plum growing without cultivation.
(b) The South African prune. See under {Prune}.
{Wild rice}. (Bot.) See {Indian rice}, under {Rice}.
{Wild rosemary} (Bot.), the evergreen shrub {Andromeda
polifolia}. See {Marsh rosemary}, under {Rosemary}.
{Wild sage}. (Bot.) See {Sagebrush}.
{Wild sarsaparilla} (Bot.), a species of ginseng ({Aralia
nudicaulis}) bearing a single long-stalked leaf.
{Wild sensitive plant} (Bot.), either one of two annual
leguminous herbs ({Cassia Cham[ae]crista}, and {C.
nictitans}), in both of which the leaflets close quickly
when the plant is disturbed.
{Wild service}.(Bot.) See {Sorb}.
{Wild Spaniard} (Bot.), any one of several umbelliferous
plants of the genus {Aciphylla}, natives of New Zealand.
The leaves bear numerous bayonetlike spines, and the
plants form an impenetrable thicket.
{Wild turkey}. (Zo["o]l.) See 2d {Turkey}.
Oat \Oat\ ([=o]t), n.; pl. {Oats} ([=o]ts). [OE. ote, ate, AS.
[=a]ta, akin to Fries. oat. Of uncertain origin.]
1. (Bot.) A well-known cereal grass ({Avena sativa}), and its
edible grain; -- commonly used in the plural and in a
collective sense.
2. A musical pipe made of oat straw. [Obs.] --Milton.
{Animated oats} or {Animal oats} (Bot.), A grass ({Avena
sterilis}) much like oats, but with a long spirally
twisted awn which coils and uncoils with changes of
moisture, and thus gives the grains an apparently
automatic motion.
{Oat fowl} (Zo["o]l.), the snow bunting; -- so called from
its feeding on oats. [Prov. Eng.]
{Oat grass} (Bot.), the name of several grasses more or less
resembling oats, as {Danthonia spicata}, {D. sericea}, and
{Arrhenatherum avenaceum}, all common in parts of the
United States.
{To feel one's oats}, to be conceited ro self-important.
[Slang]
{To sow one's wild oats}, to indulge in youthful dissipation.
--Thackeray.
{Wild oats} (Bot.), a grass ({Avena fatua}) much resembling
oats, and by some persons supposed to be the original of
cultivated oats.
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}.
Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
true grasses botanically considered, such as black
grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
{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 {P.
palustris}; in the United States there are several
species.
{Grass bass} (Zo["o]l.), 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
({B[oe]hmeria nivea or Urtica nivea}), which grows in
Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
strong fibers suited for textile purposes.
{Grass finch}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A common American sparrow ({Po["o]c[ae]tes
gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
{bay-winged bunting}.
(b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Po["e]phila}, 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), a South African owl ({Strix
Capensis}).
{Grass parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), any of several species of
Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
applied to the zebra parrakeet.
{Grass plover} (Zo["o]l.), the upland or field plover.
{Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum
Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.
{Crass quit} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.)
(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} (Zo["o]l.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa
maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.
{Grass spider} (Zo["o]l.), a common spider ({Agelena
n[ae]via}), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous
when covered with dew.
{Grass sponge} (Zo["o]l.), 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. gr["a]senka 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.