silage

Everyday

Grass, maize or other green crops that are cut, packed tightly and kept without air so they ferment, to feed cows and sheep in winter. tree →

In the lessons

In farming and science lessons silage shows how food is stored: the crop is sealed in a clamp, pit, silo or in big black plastic-wrapped bales, and bacteria pickle it. Children in rural Ireland, the UK, New Zealand and Canada see silage bales in fields and smell it on farms. Phrases: silage bales, make silage, silage pit.

Examples

• The cows eat silage all winter. tree →
• Big black bales of silage were stacked by the barn. tree →
• Farmers make silage in summer when the grass is long. tree →
• Silage has a strong, sour smell. tree →
• The tractor drove over the silage to squash out the air. tree →
• Silage is a bit like pickled grass. tree →

Note

Uncountable: "some silage", "silage is". Pronounced SY-lij. Related to "silo" (a tall tower for storing grain or silage). Safety: silage pits and gases can be dangerous; children should not play near them.