cereal grasses

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "cereal grasses" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to grasses that are cultivated for their edible grains, commonly used in agriculture and food production. Example: "Wheat, barley, and oats are all examples of cereal grasses that play a significant role in global food supply."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

Among them is ergot, a fungus that destroys cereal grasses, particularly rye, and that, when eaten, can cause hallucinations.

The New Yorker

Wheat, any of several species of cereal grasses of the genus Triticum (family Poaceae) and their edible grains.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Panicum (genus Panicum), also called panicgrass, large genus of forage and cereal grasses in the family Poaceae, distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate regions of the world.

Encyclopedia Britannica

It is found only in fungi (e.g, Saccharomyces and other yeasts and Claviceps purpurea, the cause of ergot, a fungal disease of cereal grasses) and is chemically related to cholesterol.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Eventually, both were proved wrong: cyclol bonds were found to exist in ergot (a fungal disease of cereal grasses), and amino acids were found to combine in DNA chains.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The second kind comprises the mutualistic (symbiotic) bacteria; examples include Rhizobium, associated with leguminous plants (e.g., various members of the pea family); Frankia, associated with certain dicotyledonous species (actinorhizal plants); and certain Azospirillum species, associated with cereal grasses.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi), cereal grass of the family Poaceae, native to tropical Asia.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Teff (Eragrostis tef), sometimes spelled tef, annual cereal grass (family Poaceae), grown for its tiny nutritious seeds.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A crucial step in cereal grass domestication is acquisition of seed retention in the inflorescence/seed head for efficient harvesting.

Developmental Cell

Reporting in Nature Genetics, Ishii and colleagues (2013) show that a change in inflorescence architecture is sufficient to increase seed retention, providing an alternative pathway toward cereal grass domestication.

Developmental Cell

However, spiking PBS with cereal grass medium as nutrients induced predation of EcO157 by Platyophyra sp. after 3 days or enhanced predation by Colpoda after 5 days.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "cereal grasses" when discussing the scientific or agricultural aspects of plants like wheat, rice, and maize.

Common error

Avoid using "cereal grasses" when you simply mean "grasses" in a general sense. "Cereal grasses" refers specifically to those cultivated for their grains, and using it otherwise can be misleading.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "cereal grasses" functions primarily as a noun phrase, identifying a specific category of plants within the broader grass family. It serves to classify grasses that are cultivated for their edible grains. Ludwig AI confirms that this is a correct and usable term.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

48%

Encyclopedias

20%

News & Media

14%

Less common in

Wiki

12%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "cereal grasses" is a grammatically sound and frequently used noun phrase primarily in scientific and agricultural contexts. As Ludwig AI indicates, the term is correct and serves to specifically identify grasses cultivated for their edible grains. While alternatives like "grain crops" or "cereal grains" exist, "cereal grasses" offers a unique balance of botanical accuracy and agricultural relevance. When using this phrase, ensure you are referring specifically to grasses grown for their grains to avoid overgeneralization.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

grain crops

Focuses on the cultivated aspect of cereals, emphasizing their role as crops.

cereal grains

Highlights the edible grains produced by cereal plants.

grass family crops

Emphasizes the botanical family (Poaceae) to which cereals belong.

cultivated grasses

Stresses the aspect of cultivation and human use.

edible grasses

Focuses on the characteristic of being edible.

grain-producing grasses

Highlights the grain production capability of these grasses.

staple food crops

Emphasizes the importance of cereal grasses as a primary food source.

agricultural grasses

Emphasizes their role in agriculture.

food-producing grasses

Highlights the production of food.

grassy cereals

Inverts the original phrase, keeping the same meaning but slightly less common usage.

FAQs

How do I correctly use "cereal grasses" in a sentence?

Use "cereal grasses" when referring to grasses that are cultivated specifically for their edible grains. For example, "Wheat, rice, and maize are important "cereal grasses" for global food production".

What's the difference between "cereal grasses" and regular grasses?

"Cereal grasses" specifically refers to grasses cultivated for their edible grains, like wheat or rice. Regular grasses encompass a much broader category of plants, including those not used for food production, such as lawn grasses.

What can I say instead of "cereal grasses"?

Depending on the context, you can use terms like "grain crops", "cereal grains", or "cultivated grasses" to convey a similar meaning.

Are "cereal grasses" only used in scientific writing?

While "cereal grasses" is often used in scientific and agricultural contexts, it can also appear in general discussions about food production or nutrition when specifically referring to grain-producing grasses.