wild oat

1. any uncultivated species of Avena, esp. a common weedy grass, A. fatua, resembling the cultivated oat.

2. a hardy plant, Uvularia sessilifolia, of the lily family, of eastern North America, having deep green, hairy leaves and greenish-yellow, tubular flowers.

3. sow one's wild oats, to have a youthful fling at reckless and indiscreet behavior, esp. to be promiscuous before marriage.

[1490-1500]

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▪ plant

      any of several tufted annual grasses of the genus Avena (family Poaceae), native to Eurasia. Wild oats are sometimes cut for hay, and young plants provide forage for grazing animals.

      The best-known species is A. fatua, which has become a common field and roadside weed in temperate Australia, North America, and southern Africa. It grows in small tufts about 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 feet) tall. Mature spikelets are bell-shaped, with bent, bristlelike projections.

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