Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

supergrass

/ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)ˌɡɹɑːs/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.00 in modern English

Syllables: su-per-grass
IPA: /ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)ˌɡɹɑːs/

13

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An informer providing substantial quantities of information on criminal or terrorist activities to the police.

British usage; Slang

Example Sentences

"I have to tell the hon. and learned Gentleman that I do not know the facts which led to that decision. On the other hand, although it is an unpleasant fact of life, there are now and again occasions on which, in order to achieve convictions against really bad villains, it is necessary to use people who are termed supergrasses."
"In several cases the supergrass spent days in the witness box giving evidence of scores of offences allegedly committed by many individuals over a period of years."

Etymology

From super- + grass, from grass (“an informer”).

Word Breakdown

Prefix: super

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)ˌɡɹɑːs/

Usage

British usage
Slang

Inflected Forms

supergrasses (plural)

Synonyms

nark nonce snout abaddon accuser beefer bewrayer bigmouth blabber blabtale blabtongue canary

Questions

How do you pronounce supergrass?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)ˌɡɹɑːs/.
What does supergrass mean?: An informer providing substantial quantities of information on criminal or terrorist activities to the police.
Where does supergrass come from?: From super- + grass, from grass (“an informer”).

How to pronounce supergrass

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “supergrass”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈs(j)uːpə(ɹ)ˌɡɹɑːs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “supergrass”.
Repeat and practice — Say “supergrass” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.