mossback
Americannoun
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Informal.
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a person holding very antiquated notions; reactionary.
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a person living in the backwoods; rustic.
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an old turtle.
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Angling. a large and old fish, as a bass.
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a wild bull or cow.
noun
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an old turtle, shellfish, etc, that has a growth of algae on its back
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informal a provincial or conservative person
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mossback
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In true mossback fashion, he bought a plot of land on a particularly damp section of the island because he loved the rain.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2023
South Carolina's grumpy, mastiff-faced old Ellison DuRant Smith may be the Senate's No. 1 mossback, but South Carolina loves him still, treasures him as a precious relic.
From Time Magazine Archive
Says Kitchin: "I'm a conservative, but not a mossback."
From Time Magazine Archive
To the passengers, most railroaders are mossback operators who neglect service while engaging in a never-ending round of raising fares, chopping schedules and eliminating branch lines.
From Time Magazine Archive
The mossback cannot win, because he prefers a flintlock to a Mauser.
From Chapters in Rural Progress by Kenyon L. (Kenyon Leech) Butterfield
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
