• IPA: /ˈfɛskjuː/

fescue

1. (countable) A straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read.
   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Vnlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], OCLC 879551664 ↗:

     to come under the fescue of an imprimatur

   • 1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon

     ‘Now then,’ Mason rapping upon the Table’s Edge with a sinister-looking Fescue of Ebony, whose List of Uses simple Indication does not quite exhaust, whilst the Girls squirm pleasingly

2. A hardy grass commonly used to border golf fairways in temperate climates. Any member of the genus Festuca.
3. (countable) An instrument for playing on the harp; a plectrum.
4. (countable) The style of a sundial.

• French: fétuque
• German: Schwingel, Schwingelgras
• Russian: овся́ница

fescue (fescues, present participle fescuing; past and past participle fescued)

1. To use a fescue, or teach with a fescue.
   • 1641, John Milton, Animadversions upon The Remonstrants Defence Against Smectymnuus.

     quote en