Pronunciation: ' blü- ˌ stem
Function: noun
Date: circa 1852
1 : a tall No. American grass ( Andropogon gerardii syn. A. furcatus ) that has smooth bluish leaf sheaths and slender spikes borne in pairs or clusters, is a dominant grass of the orig. tallgrass prairies, and is used for hay and forage ― called also big bluestem ― compare SAND BLUESTEM
2 : LITTLE BLUESTEM