Horsetail

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Horsetail \Horse"tail`\, n.
     1. (Bot.) A leafless plant, with hollow and rushlike stems.
        It is of the genus {Equisetum}, and is allied to the
        ferns. See Illust. of {Equisetum}.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. A Turkish standard, denoting rank.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Commanders are distinguished by the number of
           horsetails carried before them. Thus, the sultan has
           seven, the grand vizier five, and the pashas three,
           two, or one.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Shrubby horsetail}. (Bot.) See {Joint-fir}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  horsetail
       n : perennial rushlike flowerless herbs with jointed hollow
           stems and narrow toothlike leaves that spread by creeping
           rhizomes; tend to become weedy; common in northern
           hemisphere; some in Africa and South America