sedge

noun

: any of a family (Cyperaceae, the sedge family) of usually tufted monocotyledonous marsh plants differing from the related grasses in having achenes and solid stems
especially : any of a cosmopolitan genus (Carex)
sedgy adjective

Examples of sedge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The swale narrows and continues below the deck, featuring various rush and sedge species, Yerba mansa, low bulrush, coast rosemary and even a little patch of Dymondia ground cover that wandered in from a nearby spot by the mud kitchen. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024 Last August, Patel pointed my attention toward a depression worn into the moss, a path that disappeared into a yellowed tuft of sedge. Bathsheba Demuth, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2024 Not only did the field sedge handle it well, there is overflow drainage that Lefkowits installed that leads to the terraces on the other side of the fence to direct water for irrigation. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024 Even at a glance, the tundra inside the pen was transformed: the sedges pruned, the moss trampled, the blueberries nibbled. Bathsheba Demuth, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2024 Hunt the Clear-Cuts Does like to bed down in cover such as broom sedge, young sweetgums and wax myrtle, which start growing within a year or two after an area has been cleared of timber. 67. Outdoor Life, 19 Nov. 2019 In the garden, sedges look great at the border’s front. Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023 The animals are herbivores, primarily eating grass and sedges, and can run up to 30 mph. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2023 Most garden centers offer several sedge controls for use in St. Augustine and other lawns. Tom MacCubbin, orlandosentinel.com, 17 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sedge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English segge, from Old English secg; akin to Middle High German segge sedge, Old English sagu saw — more at saw

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sedge was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sedge

Cite this Entry

“Sedge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sedge. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sedge

noun
: any of a family of plants of marshy areas that are related to the grasses and have solid often three-sided stems

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