fescue

fescue
/fes"kyooh/, n.
1. Also called fescue grass. any grass of the genus Festuca, some species of which are cultivated for pasture or lawns.
2. a pointer, as a straw or slender stick, used to point out the letters in teaching children to read.
[1350-1400; earlier festue, ME festu < MF < VL *festucum, for L festuca stalk, straw]

* * *

Any of about 100 species of grasses that make up the genus Festuca (family Poaceae, or Gramineae), native to temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Several species are important pasture and fodder grasses, and a few are used in lawn mixtures. One variety, blue fescue (F. ovina ‘glauca'), has smooth, silvery leaves and is planted in ornamental borders.

* * *

plant
 any of about 100 species of grasses constituting the genus Festuca (family Poaceae), native to temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Several species are important pasture and fodder grasses, and a few are used in lawn mixtures.

      Meadow fescue (F. pratensis; formerly F. elatior), a plant about 0.5 to 1.2 m (1 1/2 to 4 feet) tall, is used for fodder and as a permanent pasture grass. Both meadow fescue and tall or reed fescue (F. arundinacea) are Old World species that have become widespread in parts of North America. The shorter, fine-leaved sheep fescue (F. ovina), often found on mountainsides, grows in dense tufts and forms turfs in dry or sandy soil. One variety, known as blue fescue (F. ovina variety glauca), has smooth, silvery leaves and is planted in ornamental borders. Red fescue (F. rubra) is used in lawn grass mixtures.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fescue — Fes cue (f[e^]s k[ u]), n. [OE. festu, OF. festu, F. f[ e]tu, fr. L. festuca stalk, straw.] 1. A straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read. Pedantic fescue. Sterne. [1913 Webster] To come under… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fescue — Fes cue (f[e^]s k[ u]), v. i. & t. [imp. & p. p. {Fescued}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Fescuing}.] To use a fescue, or teach with a fescue. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fescue — (n.) 1510s, teacher s pointer, alteration of festu piece of straw, twig (late 14c.), from O.Fr. festu (Mod.Fr. fétu), a kind of straw, from V.L. festucum, from L. festuca straw, stalk, rod, probably related to ferula (see FERULE (Cf. ferule)).… …   Etymology dictionary

  • fescue — [fes′kyo͞o΄] n. [ME festu < OFr < L festuca, a straw, blade of grass] 1. Rare a long stick, straw, etc., used as a teacher s pointer 2. any of a genus (Festuca) of grasses, many of which are used in the temperate zone as lawn and pasture… …   English World dictionary

  • Fescue — Taxobox name = Fescue image width = 240px image caption = Meadow Fescue ( Festuca pratensis ) regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Liliopsida ordo = Poales familia = Poaceae genus = Festuca genus authority = L. subdivision ranks =… …   Wikipedia

  • fescue — /ˈfɛskju / (say feskyooh) noun 1. any grass of the genus Festuca, some species of which, especially Chewings fescue and creeping red fescue, are cultivated for pasture or lawns. 2. any of several grasses belonging to other related genera, as… …  

  • fescue — noun /ˈfɛskjuː/ a) A straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read. , 1997: ‘Now then,’ Mason rapping upon the Table’s Edge with a sinister looking Fescue of Ebony, whose List of Uses simple… …   Wiktionary

  • fescue — fes·cue (fesґku) 1. any grass of the genus Festuca. 2. fescue foot …   Medical dictionary

  • fescue — eraičinas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Miglinių (Poaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Festuca). atitikmenys: lot. Festuca angl. fescue vok. Schwingel rus. овсяница lenk. kostrzewa …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • fescue — eraičinas statusas T sritis augalininkystė apibrėžtis Daugiamečių, miglinių (Poaceae), seniau varpinių (Gramineae), šeimos augalų gentis. atitikmenys: lot. Festuca angl. fescue rus. овсяница …   Žemės ūkio augalų selekcijos ir sėklininkystės terminų žodynas

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”