Moss

¹ American  

[maws, mos] / mɔs, mɒs /

noun

1. Howard, 1922–1987, U.S. poet, editor, and playwright.

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moss ² American  

[maws, mos] / mɔs, mɒs /

noun

1. any tiny, leafy-stemmed, flowerless plant of the class Musci, reproducing by spores and growing in tufts, sods, or mats on moist ground, tree trunks, rocks, etc.

2. a growth of such plants.

3. any of various similar plants, as Iceland moss or club moss.

4. Chiefly Scot. and North England. a swamp or bog.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover with a growth of moss.

   to moss a crumbling wall.

Moss ¹ British  

/ mɒs /

noun

1. Kate . born 1974, British supermodel.

2. Sir Stirling. born 1929, English racing driver

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moss ² British  

/ mɒs /

noun

1. any bryophyte of the phylum Bryophyta , typically growing in dense mats on trees, rocks, moist ground, etc See also peat moss

2. a clump or growth of any of these plants

3. any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as club moss, Spanish moss, Ceylon moss, rose moss, and reindeer moss

4. a peat bog or marsh

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moss Scientific  

/ môs /

1. Any of various green, usually small nonvascular plants of the division Bryophyta. Mosses, unlike liverworts, have some tissues specialized for conducting water and nutrients. As in the other bryophytes, the diploid sporophyte grows on the haploid gametophyte generation, which supplies it with nutrients. Mosses often live in moist, shady areas and grow in clusters or mats. Sphagnum mosses play a crucial role in the ecology of peat bogs.

2. See more at bryophyte

3. Any of a number of plants that look like mosses but are not related to them. For instance, reindeer moss is a lichen, Irish moss is an alga, and Spanish moss is a bromeliad, a flowering plant.

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moss Idioms  

1. see rolling stone gathers no moss.

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Other Word Forms

• mossiness noun
• mosslike adjective
• mossy adjective
• unmossed adjective

Etymology

Origin of moss

before 1000; Middle English mos ( se ), Old English mos moss, bog; akin to German Moos, Old Norse mȳrr mire

Example Sentences

Scientists experienced this firsthand in 2013, when they were asked to analyze tiny fragments of moss to help determine where a body had been buried.

From Science Daily

This included persuading the War Office of the benefits of using sphagnum moss for wound dressings.

From BBC

Using this archive, the research team tracked changes in airborne moss spores across a 35-year period, focusing on 16 different moss species and groups.

From Science Daily

As Europe seeks to curb its dependence on China for rare earths, plans to mine the continent's biggest deposit have hit a roadblock over fears that mining operations could harm endangered beetles, mosses and mushrooms.

From Barron's

The set decorator, the painter, the greens person that puts the moss in is like, “Do you see where I put the moss right there? You see the moss right there?”

From Los Angeles Times