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definitions

moss

[ maws, mos ]
/ mɔs, mɒs /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR moss ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.
a growth of such plants.
any of various similar plants, as Iceland moss or club moss.
Chiefly Scot. and North England. a swamp or bog.

verb (used with object)

to cover with a growth of moss: to moss a crumbling wall.

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RELATED WORDS

swamp, morass, bog, lichen

Nearby words

  1. mosquito forceps,
  2. mosquito hawk,
  3. mosquito net,
  4. mosquito netting,
  5. mosquitofish,
  6. moss agate,
  7. moss animal,
  8. moss campion,
  9. moss green,
  10. moss hag

Origin of moss

before 1000; Middle English mos(se), Old English mos moss, bog; akin to German Moos, Old Norse mȳrr mire
Related formsmoss·like, adjectiveun·mossed, adjective

Moss

[ maws, mos ]
/ mɔs, mɒs /

noun

Howard,1922–1987, U.S. poet, editor, and playwright.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for moss

British Dictionary definitions for moss

moss

/ (mɒs) /

noun

any bryophyte of the phylum Bryophyta, typically growing in dense mats on trees, rocks, moist ground, etcSee also peat moss
a clump or growth of any of these plants
any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as club moss, Spanish moss, Ceylon moss, rose moss, and reindeer moss
Scot and Northern English a peat bog or marsh
Derived Formsmosslike, adjectivemossy, adjectivemossiness, noun

Word Origin for moss

Old English mos swamp; compare Middle Dutch, Old High German mos bog, Old Norse mosi; compare also Old Norse mӯrr mire

Moss

/ (mɒs) /

noun

Kate . born 1974, British supermodel.
Sir Stirling. born 1929, English racing driver
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for moss

moss

n.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for moss

moss

[ môs ]

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. See more at bryophyte.
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with moss

moss

see rolling stone gathers no moss.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.