Barnyard grass, for hay. South. {Panicum Grus-galli}. Bent,
pasture and hay. {Agrostis}, several species. Bermuda grass,
pasture. South. {Cynodon Dactylon}. Black bent. Same as {Switch grass} (below). Blue bent, hay. North and West. {Andropogon provincialis}. Blue grass, pasture. {Poa compressa}. Blue joint,
hay. Northwest. {Aqropyrum glaucum}. Buffalo grass, grazing.
Rocky Mts., etc.
      (a) {Buchloe dectyloides}.
      (b) Same as {Grama grass} (below). Bunch grass, grazing.
          Far West. {Eriocoma}, {Festuca}, {Stips}, etc. Chess,
          or Cheat, a weed. {Bromus secalinus}, etc. Couch
          grass. Same as {Quick grass} (below). Crab grass,
      (a) Hay, in South. A weed, in North. {Panicum sanguinale}.
      (b) Pasture and hay. South. {Eleusine Indica}. Darnel
      (a) Bearded, a noxious weed. {Lolium temulentum}.
      (b) Common. Same as {Rye grass} (below). Drop seed, fair
          for forage and hay. {Muhlenbergia}, several species.
          English grass. Same as Redtop (below). Fowl meadow
          grass.
      (a) Pasture and hay. {Poa serotina}.
      (b) Hay, on moist land. {Gryceria nervata}. Gama grass,
          cut fodder. South. {Tripsacum dactyloides}. Grama
          grass, grazing. West and Pacific slope. {Bouteloua  oligostachya}, etc. Great bunch grass, pasture and
          hay. Far West. {Festuca scabrella}. Guinea grass, hay.
          South. {Panicum jumentorum}. Herd's grass, in New
          England Timothy, in Pennsylvania and South Redtop.
          Indian grass. Same as {Wood grass} (below). Italian
          rye grass, forage and hay. {Lolium Italicum}. Johnson
          grass, grazing and hay. South and Southwest. {Sorghum  Halepense}. Kentucky blue grass, pasture. {Poa  pratensis}. Lyme grass, coarse hay. South. {Elymus},
          several species. Manna grass, pasture and hay.
          {Glyceria}, several species. Meadow fescue, pasture
          and hay. {Festuca elatior}. Meadow foxtail, pasture,
          hay, lawn. North. {Alopecurus pratensis}. Meadow
          grass, pasture, hay, lawn. {Poa}, several species.
          Mesquite grass, or Muskit grass. Same as {Grama grass}
          (above). Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed.
          {Muhlenbergia diffsa}. Orchard grass, pasture and hay.
          {Dactylis glomerata}. Porcupine grass, troublesome to
          sheep. Northwest. {Stipa spartea}. Quaking grass,
          ornamental. {Briza media} and {maxima}. Quitch, or
          Quick, grass, etc., a weed. {Agropyrum repens}. Ray
          grass. Same as {Rye grass} (below). Redtop, pasture
          and hay. {Agrostis vulgaris}. Red-topped buffalo
          grass, forage. Northwest. {Poa tenuifolia}. Reed
          canary grass, of slight value. {Phalaris arundinacea}.
          Reed meadow grass, hay. North. {Glyceria aquatica}.
          Ribbon grass, a striped leaved form of {Reed canary  grass}. Rye grass, pasture, hay. {Lolium perenne},
          var. Seneca grass, fragrant basket work, etc. North.
          {Hierochloa borealis}. Sesame grass. Same as {Gama  grass} (above). Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native
          in Northern Europe and Asia. {Festuca ovina}. Small
          reed grass, meadow pasture and hay. North. {Deyeuxia  Canadensis}. Spear grass, Same as {Meadow grass}
          (above). Squirrel-tail grass, troublesome to animals.
          Seacoast and Northwest. {Hordeum jubatum}. Switch
          grass, hay, cut young. {Panicum virgatum}. Timothy,
          cut young, the best of hay. North. {Phleum pratense}.
          Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. {Holcus  lanatus}. Vernal grass, pasture, hay, lawn.
          {Anthoxanthum odoratum}. Wire grass, valuable in
          pastures. {Poa compressa}. Wood grass, Indian grass,
          hay. {Chrysopogon nutans}.
          
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   Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
         true grasses botanically considered, such as black
         grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
         
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   {Black grass}, a kind of small rush ({Juncus Gerardi}),
      growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.

   {Grass of the Andes}, an oat grass, the {Arrhenatherum  avenaceum} of Europe.

   {Grass of Parnassus}, a plant of the genus {Parnassia}
      growing in wet ground. The European species is {Parnassia  palustris}; in the United States there are several
      species.

   {Grass bass} (Zool.), the calico bass.

   {Grass bird}, the dunlin.

   {Grass cloth}, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
      grass-cloth plant.

   {Grass-cloth plant}, a perennial herb of the Nettle family
      ({Boehmeria nivea} syn. {Urtica nivea}), which grows in
      Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
      strong fibers suited for textile purposes.

   {Grass finch}. (Zool.)
      (a) A common American sparrow ({Poocaetes  gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
          {bay-winged bunting}.
      (b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Poephila}, of
          which several species are known.

   {Grass lamb}, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
      and giving rich milk.

   {Grass land}, land kept in grass and not tilled.

   {Grass moth} (Zool.), one of many small moths of the genus
      {Crambus}, found in grass.

   {Grass oil}, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
      India from grasses of the genus {Andropogon}, etc.; --
      used in perfumery under the name of {citronella}, {ginger  grass oil}, {lemon grass oil}, {essence of verbena} etc.
      

   {Grass owl} (Zool.), a South African owl ({Strix Capensis}).
      

   {Grass parrakeet} (Zool.), any of several species of
      Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
      applied to the zebra parrakeet.

   {Grass plover} (Zool.), the upland or field plover.

   {Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum  Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.

   {Crass quit} (Zool.), one of several tropical American
      finches of the genus {Euetheia}. The males have most of
      the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.

   {Grass snake}. (Zool.)
      (a) The common English, or ringed, snake ({Tropidonotus  natrix}).
      (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States.
          See {Green snake}, under {Green}.

   {Grass snipe} (Zool.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa  maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.

   {Grass spider} (Zool.), a common spider ({Agelena naevia}),
      which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous when covered
      with dew.

   {Grass sponge} (Zool.), an inferior kind of commercial sponge
      from Florida and the Bahamas.

   {Grass table}. (Arch.) See {Earth table}, under {Earth}.

   {Grass vetch} (Bot.), a vetch ({Lathyrus Nissolia}), with
      narrow grasslike leaves.

   {Grass widow}. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
      strohwittwe a mock widow, Sw. gr[aum]senka a grass widow.]
      (a) An unmarried woman who is a mother. [Obs.]
      (b) A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
          prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
          husband. [Slang.]

   {Grass wrack} (Bot.) eelgrass.

   {To bring to grass} (Mining.), to raise, as ore, to the
      surface of the ground.

   {To put to grass}, {To put out to grass}, to put out to graze
      a season, as cattle.
      
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Sponge \Sponge\ (sp[u^]nj), n. [OF. esponge, F. ['e]ponge, L.
   spongia, Gr. spoggia`, spo`ggos. Cf. {Fungus}, {Spunk}.]
   [Formerly written also {spunge}.]
   1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of Spongiae, or
      Porifera. See Illust. and Note under {Spongiae}.
      
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   2. The elastic fibrous skeleton of many species of horny
      Spongiae (Keratosa), used for many purposes, especially
      the varieties of the genus {Spongia}. The most valuable
      sponges are found in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,
      and on the coasts of Florida and the West Indies.
      
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   3. Fig.: One who lives upon others; a pertinacious and
      indolent dependent; a parasite; a sponger.
      
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   4. Any spongelike substance. Specifically:
      (a) Dough before it is kneaded and formed into loaves, and
          after it is converted into a light, spongy mass by the
          agency of the yeast or leaven.
      (b) Iron from the puddling furnace, in a pasty condition.
      (c) Iron ore, in masses, reduced but not melted or worked.
          
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   5. (Gun.) A mop for cleaning the bore of a cannon after a
      discharge. It consists of a cylinder of wood, covered with
      sheepskin with the wool on, or cloth with a heavy looped
      nap, and having a handle, or staff.
      
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   6. (Far.) The extremity, or point, of a horseshoe, answering
      to the heel.
      
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   {Bath sponge}, any one of several varieties of coarse
      commercial sponges, especially {Spongia equina}.

   {Cup sponge}, a toilet sponge growing in a cup-shaped form.
      

   {Glass sponge}. See {Glass-sponge}, in the Vocabulary.

   {Glove sponge}, a variety of commercial sponge ({Spongia  officinalis}, variety tubulifera), having very fine
      fibers, native of Florida, and the West Indies.

   {Grass sponge}, any one of several varieties of coarse
      commercial sponges having the surface irregularly tufted,
      as {Spongia graminea}, and {Spongia equina}, variety
      cerebriformis, of Florida and the West Indies.

   {Horse sponge}, a coarse commercial sponge, especially
      {Spongia equina}.

   {Platinum sponge}. (Chem.) See under {Platinum}.

   {Pyrotechnical sponge}, a substance made of mushrooms or
      fungi, which are boiled in water, dried, and beaten, then
      put in a strong lye prepared with saltpeter, and again
      dried in an oven. This makes the black match, or tinder,
      brought from Germany.

   {Sheeps-wool sponge}, a fine and durable commercial sponge
      ({Spongia equina}, variety gossypina) found in Florida and
      the West Indies. The surface is covered with larger and
      smaller tufts, having the oscula between them.

   {Sponge cake}, a kind of sweet cake which is light and
      spongy.

   {Sponge lead}, or {Spongy lead} (Chem.), metallic lead
      brought to a spongy form by reduction of lead salts, or by
      compressing finely divided lead; -- used in secondary
      batteries and otherwise.

   {Sponge tree} (Bot.), a tropical leguminous tree ({Acacia  Farnesiana}), with deliciously fragrant flowers, which are
      used in perfumery.

   {Toilet sponge}, a very fine and superior variety of
      Mediterranean sponge ({Spongia officinalis}, variety
      Mediterranea); -- called also {Turkish sponge}.

   {To set a sponge} (Cookery), to leaven a small mass of flour,
      to be used in leavening a larger quantity.

   {To throw up the sponge}, to give up a contest; to
      acknowledge defeat; -- from a custom of the prize ring,
      the person employed to sponge a pugilist between rounds
      throwing his sponge in the air in token of defeat; -- now,
      {throw in the towel} is more common, and has the same
      origin and meaning. [Cant or Slang] "He was too brave a
      man to throw up the sponge to fate." --Lowell.

   {Vegetable sponge}. (Bot.) See {Loof}.

   {Velvet sponge}, a fine, soft commercial sponge ({Spongia  equina}, variety meandriniformis) found in Florida and the
      West Indies.

   {Vitreous sponge}. See {Glass-sponge}.

   {Yellow sponge}, a common and valuable commercial sponge
      ({Spongia agaricina}, variety corlosia) found in Florida
      and the West Indies.
      
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