sward Hear it!

sward Definition

sward (swôrd)

noun

grass-covered soil; turf

Etymology: ME swarde < OE sweard, a skin, hide, akin to Ger schwarte, rind, hard skin, ON svọrthr, skin

transitive verb

to cover with sward

sward Synonyms

sward

n.

turf, sod, lawn; see grass 1.

sward Usage Examples

Preposition: of

grass: Go through the gate to find yourself at the south end of a long sward of grass, sloping up to your left.

Converse of object

  • graze: Green-winged orchid - this common orchid is evident where rabbits have grazed the sward.
  • dominate: Frequent cutting ( 6 times per year ) allows the white clover to dominate the sward.
  • maintain: More frequent mowing to maintain a short sward may be needed on parts of the site to maintain a neat appearance or for recreation.
  • establish: Sowing to a short-term crop followed by further surface cultivations may be best before establishing a long-term sward.
  • have: The ley will have a thick bottom sward for good hay, silage and grazing.
  • form: It is a perennial with an extensive rhizome system and forms a sward rather than tussocks but is very variable in habit.

Adjective modifier

  • dense: Also, the ball will sink less into a dense sward which will therefore present less resistance to its forward roll.
  • grassy: Surrounding the Promenade is a huge grassy sward, part of which is laid out as gardens.
  • thick: It probably never even got as far as the soil before being eaten or getting stuck in the thick grass sward.
  • green: Carry on along the path across the continuing green sward, which cuts off a wide curve in the Cocker.
  • mixed: Mowing is indiscriminate and does not act selectively; for instance it is impossible to mow only the grass in a mixed sward.
  • short: It was growing among the short sward on the lower slopes of Mill Hill.

Modifies a noun

  • composition: The sward composition today on the greens is starting to take on another look.
  • height: Controlled grazing to maintain optimum sward height can also help.
  • damage: Plant death or sward damage can allow ragwort to invade the gaps in established vegetation.

Noun used with modifier

  • clover: For two years the land is down to a grass clover sward which is occasionally mown.
  • grass: Gaps must be made first in the grass sward.
  • grassland: Now we have heather plants springing up and a diverse grassland sward.
  • ryegrass: Grass silage containing 296 g VCDM per kg FW was produced from the primary growth of a perennial ryegrass sward.