Definitions for wild-oat

• Definition
• Anagrams (170)

wild-oat wild oat

Wild-Oat is a 8 letter English word. It's valid Scrabble word worth 8 points. It's valid Words with friends word worth 9 points.

You can make 170 anagrams from letters in wild-oat (-adilotw).

Definitions for wild-oat

noun

1. any uncultivated species of Avena, especially a common weedy grass, A. fatua, resembling the cultivated oat.
2. a hardy plant, Uvularia sessilifolia, of the lily family, of eastern North America, having deep green, hairy leaves and greenish-yellow, tubular flowers.

Idioms

1. sow one's wild oats, to have a youthful fling at reckless and indiscreet behavior, especially to be promiscuous before marriage.

Origin of wild-oat

First recorded in 1490-1500

Examples for wild-oat

One of the most interesting species of the genus is the Avena fatua (wild oat), well known as a weed in stiff arable soils.

The banks of this basin were clothed with a sort of wild oat and interspersed with a small blue wild flower.

If by cultivation the wild oat assumes the cultivated form, then by degeneracy cultivated oats may become wild ones.

Presently some wild oat sown, brings to that home, as yet publicly undisgraced, its full-grown harvest of shame.

Yes, he made a devoted husband, never a wild oat to sow after his marriage.

On every hand wheat and corn and clover had taken the place of the wild oat, the hazelbush and the rose.