shortgrass
UK[ˈʃɔːtɡrɑːs]US[ˈʃɔːrtɡræs]
n
any of various grasses that grow to a relatively low height, characteristic of dry plains regions.
Morpheme Breakdown
short
grass
short
not long
grass
plant
Etymology
the word 'shortgrass' is a transparent english compound, formed by combining the adjective 'short' with the noun 'grass'. 'short' derives from old english 'sceort', of germanic origin, related to the concept of being cut or deficient in length. 'grass' comes from old english 'græs', also of germanic origin, related to words meaning 'to grow' or 'green'. the compound specifically denotes types of grass that are naturally low-growing, a term that gained particular ecological and geographical significance in describing the vegetation of the north american great plains.
Analysis
Structure: short (not long) + grass (plant)
short (old english, adjective meaning 'not long'); grass (old english, noun meaning 'herb, plant')
Examples
the shortgrass prairie is an ecosystem adapted to semi-arid conditions.
cattle grazing is common in the shortgrass regions of the western united states.
botanists study the resilience of shortgrass species during droughts.