zoysia Syllabification: (zoy·si·a)Pronunciation: /ˈzoisēə/Definition of zoysia noun a low-growing grass of the genus Zoysia, native to tropical Asia and New Zealand and widely used for lawns. Family Gramineae: several species and cultivars, including Z. matrella and Z. japonica Origin: 1960s: modern Latin, from the name of the Austrian botanist Carl von Zoys zu Laubach + -ia1