Mead″ow, a. Of or pertaining to a meadow; of the nature of a meadow; produced, growing, or living in, a meadow. “Fat meadow ground.” Milton.
☞ For many names of plants compounded with meadow, see the particular word in the Vocabulary.
Meadow beauty. (Bot.) Same as Deergrass. — Meadow foxtail(Bot.), a valuable pasture grass (Alopecurus pratensis) resembling timothy, but with softer spikes. — Meadow grass(Bot.), a name given to several grasses of the genus Poa, common in meadows, and of great value for nay and for pasture. See Grass. — Meadow hay, a coarse grass, or true sedge, growing in uncultivated swamp or river meadow; — used as fodder or bedding for cattle, packing for ice, etc. — Meadow hen. (Zoöl.) (a) The American bittern. See Stake-driver. (b) The American coot (Fulica). (c) The clapper rail. — Meadow lark(Zoöl.), any species of Sturnella, a genus of American birds allied to the starlings. The common species (S. magna) has a yellow breast with a black crescent. — Meadow mouse(Zoöl.), any mouse of the genus Arvicola, as the common American species A. riparia; — called also field mouse, and field vole. — Meadow mussel(Zoöl.), an American ribbed mussel (Modiola plicatula), very abundant in salt marshes. — Meadow ore(Min.), bog-iron ore, a kind of limonite. — Meadow parsnip. (Bot.) See under Parsnip. — Meadow pink. (Bot.) See under Pink. — Meadow pipit(Zoöl.), a small singing bird of the genus Anthus, as A. pratensis, of Europe. — Meadow rue(Bot.), a delicate early plant, of the genus Thalictrum, having compound leaves and numerous white flowers. There are many species. — Meadow saffron. (Bot.) See under Saffron. — Meadow sage. (Bot.) See under Sage. — Meadow saxifrage(Bot.), an umbelliferous plant of Europe (Silaus pratensis), somewhat resembling fennel. — Meadow snipe(Zoöl.), the common or jack snipe.