Eelgrass
/ˈiːlɡræs/noun
A submerged flowering plant that grows in shallow marine or brackish waters and forms underwater meadows.
Did you know?Eelgrass is not seaweed: it is a true flowering plant whose underwater meadows provide nursery habitat for fish, shellfish, and waterfowl.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ghreh₁-
“To grow or become green; the probable ancient root behind grass-related Germanic forms.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*grasą
“Grass or growing vegetation.”
Old English
Old English
græs
“Grass; green herbage.”
Old English
Old English
ǣl
“Eel, the long, snake-shaped fish.”
Middle English
Middle English
ele / eel
“Eel; the form developed from Old English ǣl.”
16th Century
English
eel-grass
“A compound name for grasslike marine plants associated with eel habitats.”
Modern English
English
eelgrass
“Submerged marine flowering plants of the genus Zostera and related genera.”