Grass vs. Cereal — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 10, 2024
Grass is a broad family of plants with narrow leaves, while cereal refers specifically to grasses cultivated for their edible seeds.
Difference Between Grass and Cereal
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Grass includes a wide variety of plants that are typically used for lawns, grazing, or ornamental purposes. Cereal, however, is a subset of grasses cultivated for their nutritious seeds, such as wheat, rice, and corn.
Grass often serves aesthetic or ecological purposes, like lawns and pastures. Cereal grasses are cultivated primarily for their grains, which form a significant part of the human diet.
While most grass varieties are not consumed directly by humans, cereals are specifically grown as staple foods and play a central role in agriculture.
In natural ecosystems, grass contributes to soil stability and provides habitat for wildlife. Cereal grains, on the other hand, require human intervention to thrive and are harvested and processed for food products like flour and rice.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Family of plants with narrow leaves
Edible grains from grasses
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Purpose
Lawns, grazing, ornamental
Food crops like wheat, rice, and corn
Human Consumption
Rarely eaten
Staple grains for direct consumption
Ecological Role
Soil stability, habitat, aesthetics
Agricultural crop requiring cultivation
Varieties
Thousands of species
Limited to grains like wheat and rice
Compare with Definitions
Grass
Narrow-leaved plant family used for grazing or aesthetics.
The gardener mowed the grass on the lawn every weekend.
Cereal
Edible seeds of cultivated grasses like wheat or rice.
The farmer harvested his cereal crop for the coming season.
Grass
Ornamental lawn or turf used for landscaping.
The park had a lush, green grass field for picnicking.
Cereal
Staple grains processed for human consumption.
Many breakfast cereals are made from corn, wheat, or oats.
Grass
Plant family forming the base of grazing pastures.
Cattle thrive on the nutrient-rich grass pastures.
Cereal
Food product made from processed grains.
She added milk to her cereal for a quick breakfast.
Grass
Vegetation contributing to soil stability and biodiversity.
The hillside was covered with dense grass to prevent erosion.
Cereal
Grass cultivated specifically for its edible grain.
The world relies heavily on cereal grains like rice for daily sustenance.
Grass
Herbaceous plant that grows in clusters.
The deer grazed peacefully on the grass in the meadow.
Cereal
Grain plant grown extensively for its nutritional seeds.
Wheat is a primary cereal crop used worldwide for baking.
Grass
A member of the grass family.
Cereal
A cereal is any grass cultivated (grown) for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. The term may also refer to the resulting grain itself (specifically "cereal grain").
Grass
The members of the grass family considered as a group.
Cereal
A grass such as wheat, oats, or corn, the starchy grains of which are used as food.
Grass
Any of various plants having slender leaves similar to those of a grass.
Cereal
The grain of such a grass.
Grass
Ground, as on a lawn, that is covered with grass or similar plants.
Cereal
Any of several other plants or their edible seeds or fruit, such as buckwheat or certain species of amaranth.
Grass
Grazing land; pasture.
Cereal
A food prepared from any of these plants, especially a breakfast food made from commercially processed grain.
Grass
(Slang) Marijuana.
Cereal
Consisting of or relating to grain or to a plant producing grain.
Grass
(Electronics) Small variations in amplitude of an oscilloscope display caused by electrical noise.
Cereal
(countable) A type of grass (such as wheat, rice or oats) cultivated for its edible grains.
Grass
Chiefly British Slang An informer.
Cereal
(uncountable) The grains of such a grass.
Grass
To cover with grass.
Cereal
(uncountable) Breakfast cereal.
Would you like some cereal?
Which cereal would you like for breakfast?
A bowl of cereal
Grass
To grow grass on.
Cereal
Of or pertaining to the grasses which are cultivated for their edible seeds (as wheat, maize, rice, etc.), or to their seeds or grain.
Grass
To feed (livestock) with grass.
Cereal
Any grass cultivated for its edible grain, or the grain itself; - usually in the plural.
Grass
To become covered with grass.
Cereal
Grass whose starchy grains are used as food: wheat; rice; rye; oats; maize; buckwheat; millet
Grass
To graze.
Cereal
Foodstuff prepared from the starchy grains of cereal grasses
Grass
Any plant of the family Poaceae, characterized by leaves that arise from nodes in the stem and leaf bases that wrap around the stem, especially those grown as ground cover rather than for grain.
Cereal
A breakfast food prepared from grain
Grass
(countable) Various plants not in family Poaceae that resemble grasses.
Cereal
Made of grain or relating to grain or the plants that produce it;
A cereal beverage
Cereal grasses
Grass
(uncountable) A lawn.
Grass
Marijuana.
Grass
An informer, police informer; one who betrays a group (of criminals, etc) to the authorities.
What just happened must remain secret. Don't be a grass.
Grass
Sharp, closely spaced discontinuities in the trace of a cathode-ray tube, produced by random interference.
Grass
Noise on an A-scope or similar type of radar display.
Grass
The season of fresh grass; spring or summer.
Grass
That which is transitory.
Grass
Asparagus; "sparrowgrass".
Grass
(mining) The surface of a mine.
Grass
(transitive) To lay out on the grass; to knock down (an opponent etc.).
Grass
To act as a grass or informer, to betray; to report on (criminals etc) to the authorities.
Thesaurus:rat out
Grass
(transitive) To cover with grass or with turf.
Grass
(transitive) To feed with grass.
Grass
(transitive) To expose, as flax, on the grass for bleaching, etc.
Grass
(transitive) To bring to the grass or ground; to land.
Grass
Popularly: Herbage; the plants which constitute the food of cattle and other beasts; pasture.
Grass
An endogenous plant having simple leaves, a stem generally jointed and tubular, the husks or glumes in pairs, and the seed single.
Grass
The season of fresh grass; spring.
Two years old next grass.
Grass
Metaphorically used for what is transitory.
Surely the people is grass.
Grass
Marijuana.
Grass
To cover with grass or with turf.
Grass
To expose, as flax, on the grass for bleaching, etc.
Grass
To bring to the grass or ground; to land; as, to grass a fish.
Grass
To produce grass.
Grass
Narrow-leaved green herbage: grown as lawns; used as pasture for grazing animals; cut and dried as hay
Grass
German writer of novels and poetry and plays (born 1927)
Grass
Animal food for browsing or grazing
Grass
Street names for marijuana
Grass
Shoot down, of birds
Grass
Cover with grass;
The owners decided to grass their property
Grass
Spread out clothes on the grass to let it dry and bleach
Grass
Cover with grass
Grass
Feed with grass
Grass
Give away information about somebody;
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam
Common Curiosities
Can grasses other than cereals be consumed by humans?
While some grasses may be edible, most non-cereal grasses are not consumed directly by humans.
Do all grasses serve the same ecological purpose?
Not all grasses have the same ecological role, but they generally contribute to soil stability and biodiversity.
What is the primary difference between grass and cereal?
Grass is a broad family of narrow-leaved plants, while cereal refers to the edible grains of cultivated grasses.
Are all cereals considered grasses?
Yes, cereals are a subset of the grass family cultivated for their edible grains.
Why are cereals important in agriculture?
Cereals are staple crops providing essential nutrients and are widely cultivated for food production.
How are cereals typically processed for consumption?
Cereals are processed into flour, milled for grains, or cooked directly.
What are some common examples of cereal grains?
Wheat, rice, corn, oats, and barley are well-known cereal grains.
Do cereals have any non-food uses?
Yes, cereals can be used for animal feed, brewing, and biofuel production.
Can grass be cultivated like cereal crops?
Yes, grasses can be cultivated for lawns, animal pastures, and landscaping.
How do cereals contribute to biodiversity?
Cereal agriculture can support diverse soil organisms and wildlife when grown sustainably.
Do grasses and cereals require different cultivation methods?
Yes, cereals often need specialized soil management and care compared to grasses used for lawns or grazing.
Are cereals a primary food source worldwide?
Yes, cereals like rice, wheat, and corn form the basis of many diets globally.
What grasses are commonly used for lawns and pastures?
Ryegrass, fescue, and bluegrass are popular for lawns, while Bermuda and Timothy grasses are often used for grazing.
Are there ornamental varieties of cereals?
Some cereals like ornamental wheat or barley are grown decoratively.
Can grass be planted alongside cereal crops?
Grasses like clover are sometimes intercropped with cereals to improve soil quality.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
