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• moss
  moss

  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.
• Moss
  Moss

  noun

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

moss

¹ 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 ² American  

[maws, mos] / mɔs, mɒs /

noun

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

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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

Explanation

Moss is a small green plant that grows, carpet-like, across moist, shady areas. If you see a green furry rock as you hike in a forest, chances are that's moss. Moss forms mats and clumps in wooded spots, and it's unusual in the plant world for several reasons, including the fact that it has no seeds and no real roots. It reproduces through spores and absorbs water through its tiny leaves. Long ago, people used moss to insulate dwellings, but today it's primarily used in gardens. The Old English root is meos, closely related to mos, "bog," which is a damp area where moss might grow.

Example Sentences

Demand has doubled in recent years, with customers buying his moss for hanging baskets in spring and Christmas wreaths in winter, as well as vivariums to keep geckos and iguanas happy all year round.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

Tightening regulation and environmental concerns over sphagnum - the bog moss that turns to peat - have brought changes, but commercial gathering of common moss remains legal in Wales provided pickers have a permit.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

The manual work of picking moss essentially remains exactly the same.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

"The investigators wanted to know what kind of moss it was, and how long it had been buried in the soil," says von Konrat.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

The buffalo grass around Perilee’s house was tall but thick as moss; I had no trouble picking up the tracks of three barefoot children.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson