grass
UK[ɡrɑːs]US[ɡræs]
n
common wild plants with narrow green leaves and stems, which cover the ground and are eaten by animals
n
any particular type of this plant, or an area of ground covered by it
v
to cover an area of land with grass
v
(british informal) to tell the police about someone's criminal activities
Etymology
the word 'grass' has a deep germanic lineage, tracing back to the proto-germanic root 'grasan-', which meant 'grass' or 'herbage'. this, in turn, is believed to derive from the proto-indo-european root 'ghre-', meaning 'to grow' or 'to become green', a root it shares with words like 'grow' and 'green'. the semantic journey is direct and concrete, from the general concept of growing greenery to the specific, common plant life covering fields and lawns. its meaning has remained remarkably stable from its old english form to its modern usage, solidifying its place as a core, unanalyzable simplex word in english.
Analysis
the word is a simplex unit. it originates from old english 'græs, gærs', meaning 'herb, plant, grass'. its functional role is as a complete lexical root.
Examples
the children were playing on the grass in the park.
we need to mow the lawn before the grass gets too long.
he was accused of grassing on his former associates to avoid a prison sentence.