Good legislation is the art of conducting a nation to
the maximum of happiness, and the minimum of misery.
--P.
Colquhoun.
{Maximum thermometer}, a thermometer that registers the
highest degree of temperature attained in a given time, or
since its last adjustment.
Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
true grasses botanically considered, such as black
grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.
{Black grass}, a kind of small rush ({Juncus Gerardi}),
growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.
{Grass of the Andes}, an oat grass, the {Arrhenatherum
avenaceum} of Europe.
{Grass of Parnassus}, a plant of the genus {Parnassia}
growing in wet ground. The European species is {P.
palustris}; in the United States there are several
species.
{Grass bass} (Zo["o]l.), the calico bass.
{Grass cloth}, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
grass-cloth plant.
{Grass-cloth plant}, a perennial herb of the Nettle family
({B[oe]hmeria nivea or Urtica nivea}), which grows in
Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
strong fibers suited for textile purposes.
{Grass finch}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A common American sparrow ({Po["o]c[ae]tes
gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
{bay-winged bunting}.
(b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Po["e]phila}, of
which several species are known.
{Grass lamb}, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
and giving rich milk.
{Grass land}, land kept in grass and not tilled.
{Grass moth} (Zo["o]l.), one of many small moths of the genus
{Crambus}, found in grass.
{Grass oil}, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
India from grasses of the genus {Andropogon}, etc.; --
used in perfumery under the name of {citronella}, {ginger
grass oil}, {lemon grass oil}, {essence of verbena} etc.
{Grass owl} (Zo["o]l.), a South African owl ({Strix
Capensis}).
{Grass parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), any of several species of
Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
applied to the zebra parrakeet.
{Grass plover} (Zo["o]l.), the upland or field plover.
{Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum
Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.
{Crass quit} (Zo["o]l.), one of several tropical American
finches of the genus {Euetheia}. The males have most of
the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.
{Grass snake}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) The common English, or ringed, snake ({Tropidonotus
natrix}).
(b) The common green snake of the Northern United States.
See {Green snake}, under {Green}.
{Grass snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa
maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.
{Grass spider} (Zo["o]l.), a common spider ({Agelena
n[ae]via}), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous
when covered with dew.
{Grass sponge} (Zo["o]l.), an inferior kind of commercial
sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.
{Grass table}. (Arch.) See {Earth table}, under {Earth}.
{Grass vetch} (Bot.), a vetch ({Lathyrus Nissolia}), with
narrow grasslike leaves.
{Grass widow}. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
strohwittwe a mock widow, Sw. gr["a]senka a grass widow.]
(a) An unmarried woman who is a mother. [Obs.]
(b) A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
husband. [Slang.]
{Grass wrack} (Bot.) eelgrass.
{To bring to grass} (Mining.), to raise, as ore, to the
surface of the ground.
{To put to grass}, {To put out to grass}, to put out to graze
a season, as cattle.