sedge

sedge  (sj)

n.

Any of numerous grasslike plants of the family Cyperaceae, having solid stems, leaves in three vertical rows, and spikelets of inconspicuous flowers, with each flower subtended by a scalelike bract.

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[Middle English segge, from Old English secg; see sek- in Indo-European roots.]

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sedge

Noun

a coarse grasslike plant growing on wet ground [Old English secg]

sedgy adj

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Sedge, Sege a collection of rush-like marsh plants, hence, a group of sea or marsh birds that use it as a nesting place. Also, siege.

Examples: sedge of bitterns; of cranes; of herons—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

sedge - grasslike or rushlike plant growing in wet places having solid stems, narrow grasslike leaves and spikelets of inconspicuous flowers Cyperaceae, family Cyperaceae, sedge family - bulrush; chufa; cotton grass; papyrus; umbrella plant Cyperus alternifolius, umbrella sedge, umbrella plant - African sedge widely cultivated as an ornamental water plant for its terminal umbrellalike cluster of slender grasslike leaves chufa, Cyperus esculentus, earth almond, ground almond, rush nut, yellow nutgrass - European sedge having small edible nutlike tubers Cyperus longus, galingale, galangal - European sedge having rough-edged leaves and spikelets of reddish flowers and aromatic roots Cyperus papyrus, Egyptian paper reed, Egyptian paper rush, paper plant, paper rush, papyrus - tall sedge of the Nile valley yielding fiber that served many purposes in historic times Cyperus rotundus, nut grass, nut sedge, nutgrass, nutsedge - a widely distributed perennial sedge having small edible nutlike tubers Carex arenaria, sand reed, sand sedge - European maritime sedge naturalized along Atlantic coast of United States; rootstock has properties of sarsaparilla Carex pseudocyperus, cypress sedge - tufted sedge of temperate regions; nearly cosmopolitan cotton grass, cotton rush - any sedge of the genus Eriophorum; north temperate bog plants with tufted spikes hardstem bulrush, hardstemmed bulrush, Scirpus acutus - widely distributed North American sedge having rigid olive green stems Scirpus cyperinus, wool grass - sedge of eastern North America having numerous clustered woolly spikelets spike rush - a sedge of the genus Eleocharis bog plant, marsh plant, swamp plant - a semiaquatic plant that grows in soft wet land; most are monocots: sedge, sphagnum, grasses, cattails, etc; possibly heath