Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of several similar bromes, especially Bromus secalinus.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A local name for various types of grasses which resemble, but are different from, the predominant species growing in that locality.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun annual or winter annual grass with softly hairy leaves of the Mediterranean

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Perhaps akin to cheat, bread made of inferior-quality wheat (from Middle English chet, from Old French) + grass.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From cheat + grass (because they often resemble other types of grass growing nearby).

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Examples

  • In Nevada, the birds are challenged by an invasive species, cheatgrass, which is prone to frequent wildfires that burn up native sagebrush.

    msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines 2010

  • In Nevada, the birds are challenged by an invasive species, cheatgrass, which is prone to frequent wildfires that burn up native sagebrush.

    WBAY Action 2 News 2010

  • In Nevada, the birds are challenged by an invasive species, cheatgrass, which is prone to frequent wildfires that burn up native sagebrush.

    TheState.com: The Buzz 2010

  • In Nevada, the birds are challenged by an invasive species, cheatgrass, which is prone to frequent wildfires that burn up native sagebrush.

    RSSMicro Search - Top News on RSS Feeds 2010

  • In Nevada, the birds are challenged by an invasive species, cheatgrass, which is prone to frequent wildfires that burn up native sagebrush.

    CNSNews.com Headlines 2010

  • The areas in between the bushes, which are surprisingly bare, are usually filled in with a desert grass such as cheatgrass, Idaho fescue, bluegrass, or bluebunch wheatgrass.

    Sagebrush 2008

  • These annuals, such as cheatgrass brome (Bromus tectorum) and Russian thistle (Salsola paulensii), have become important in arresting succession in many areas.

    Great Basin shrub steppe 2007

  • The common elements firefighters like to see eliminated on any property are dry grasses, such as cheatgrass, and dead bushes and trees.

    RGJ.com - Latest News sskorupa@rgj.com By Susan Skorupa 2010

  • About 1,000 miles of roads would be closed and rehabilitated as part of the plan, herbicides would be used to get rid of noxious weeds such as cheatgrass and musk thistle, and riparian areas would be restored by using willows and other plants to stabilize stream banks.

    Durangoherald.com 2010

  • Where early travelers saw sharp-tailed grouse, bison, bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, numerous beaver and even wolverines, today they see dust, feral horses, and noxious weeds including cheatgrass, halogeton and Russian thistle.

    Bird Cloud Annie Proulx 2011

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