Meaning: A low, green plant that grows naturally over a lot of the earth's surface; plants eaten by grazing animals.
Q: Can it also be used to mean 'hay' and 'straw?' Or, does it mean only grass and grassy?
A: Specifically for 'hay', one signs #HAY. Sometimes one can sign GRASS (not necessarily the green grass but grass in general) when talking about a cow eating grass/hay.
[Note: ASL writing is not an official standard. This sign language writing remains in a state of open space to allow room for experiment, evolution, and improvement.]
Written ASL digit for "GRASS" (variation). [ASLwrite, Nov. 2018]
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Screenshot of the search dictionary
Alphabetical letters: It's useful for 1) a single-letter word (such as A, B, etc.) and 2) very short words (e.g. "to", "he", etc.) to narrow down the words and pages in the list.
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If you cannot find (perhaps overlook) a word but you can still see a list of links, then keep looking until the links disappear! Sharpening your eye or maybe refine your alphabetical index skill. :)
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ASL has its own grammar and structure in sentences that works differently from English. For plurals, verb inflections, word order, etc., learn grammar in the "ASL Learn" section. For search in the dictionary, use the present-time verbs and base words. If you look for "said", look up the word "say". Likewise, if you look for an adjective word, try the noun or vice versa. E.g. The ASL signs for French and France are the same. If you look for a plural word, use a singular word.
