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mossback

[ maws-bak, mos- ]
/ ˈmɔsˌbæk, ˈmɒs- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR mossback ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Informal.
  1. a person holding very antiquated notions; reactionary.
  2. a person living in the backwoods; rustic.
an old turtle.
Angling. a large and old fish, as a bass.
a wild bull or cow.

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to remove or destroy all traces of.
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Origin of mossback

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; moss + back1

Words nearby mossback

moss rose, moss stitch, moss-grown, mossad, mossadegh, mossback, mossbunker, mossi, mossie, mosso, mossoró
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to mossback

fuddy-duddy, square, conservative, geezer

Example sentences from the Web for mossback

British Dictionary definitions for mossback

mossback
/ (ˈmɒsˌbæk) /

noun US and Canadian

an old turtle, shellfish, etc, that has a growth of algae on its back
informal a provincial or conservative person

Derived forms of mossback

mossbacked, adjective
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