Tussock

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A tuft, as of grass, twigs, hair, or the like; especially, a dense tuft or bunch of grass or sedge. Such laying of the hair in tussocks and tufts. Latimer.

2. Same as Tussock grass, below.

3. A caterpillar of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths. The body of these caterpillars is covered with hairs which form long tufts or brushes. Some species are very injurious to shade and fruit trees. Called also tussock caterpillar. See Orgyia. Tussock grass. (Bot.) (a) A tall, strong grass of the genus Dactylis (D. cæspitosa), valuable for fodder, introduced into Scotland from the Falkland Islands. (b) A tufted grass (Aira cæspitosa). (c) Any kind of sedge (Carex) which forms dense tufts in a wet meadow or boggy place. -- Tussock moth (Zoöl.), the imago of any tussock caterpillar. They belong to Orgyia, Halecidota, and allied genera.