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Arrhenatherum avenaceum

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.
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