English Etymology From Arabic حَلْفَا (ḥalfā). Noun halfa grass (countable and uncountable, plural halfa grasses) A north African and south Asian grass, Desmostachya bipinnata, with tough stems woven into rope, sandals, mats, etc., and sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions. Synonym: kusha grass Other north African grasses with similar uses, such as sparto (Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum sparticum) and cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) Translations Desmostachya bipinnata Tocharian B: askace Wikiwand - on Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.