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Definition of yellow-eyed grass
yellow-eyed grass
Plural:yellow-eyed grasses
yellow-eyed grass Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
Any of various grass-like flowering wetland plants of the genus Xyris, typically featuring narrow leaves and small, three-petaled yellow flowers clustered at the tip of a leafless, scale-covered stalk.
Example
"While surveying the local peat bog, the botanist recorded an abundant patch of yellow-eyed grass thriving in the acidic, waterlogged soil."
Word Nuance & Usage
Despite its common name and grass-like appearance, yellow-eyed grass is not a true grass (family Poaceae) but rather belongs to its own distinct botanical family, Xyridaceae.
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from its narrow, grass-like leaves and its distinctive bright yellow flowers, which frequently emerge from a dark, cone-like center that resembles an eye.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Yellow-eyed grass. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/yellow-eyed grass