Iceland moss

American  

noun

1. an edible lichen, Cetraria islandica, of Arctic regions, containing a starchlike substance used in medicine.

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Iceland moss British  

noun

1. a lichen, Cetraria islandica, of arctic regions and N Europe, with brownish edible fronds

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Etymology

Origin of Iceland moss

First recorded in 1795–1805

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Iceland moss

The patient continued to vomit almost every thing she took, with the exception of sugar and a paste made with the Iceland moss.

From North American Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol. 2, No. 3, July, 1826 by Bache, Franklin

Gathering cresses is a very pleasant job in summer, but in early spring one of the most cheerless occupations conceivable short of gathering Iceland moss.

From The Naturalist on the Thames by Cornish, C. J. (Charles John)

Irish moss, Iceland moss, Ceylon moss, and some others, are also of some importance.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

A drink of any mucilaginous, lubricating, and innocent substance may be given, such as mallows, linseed, Iceland moss, slippery elm.

From The American Reformed Cattle Doctor by Dadd, George

There are few trees, and these small; cranberries grow among the heather, and Iceland moss is a plentiful article of food.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin