peat moss

See synonyms for peat moss on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also called bog moss. any moss, especially of the genus Sphagnum, from which peat may form.
such moss after it has been dried, used chiefly as a mulch or seedbed, for acidification.

Origin of peat moss

1225–75 for earlier sense; 1870–80 for def. 1; Middle English petemos (in placename) peat bog

Words Nearby peat moss

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use peat moss in a sentence

Is the fact that it worked in Norway a good reason to give peat moss a try?
11 Extreme Oil Spill Solutions | The Daily Beast | May 12, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
They took a quantity of the article which they manufactured, peat moss litter, and laying it on the wounds tied bandages over it.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10) | James Edward Parrott
One day in a peat moss litter works some distance from Kiel a worker met with a serious injury.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10) | James Edward Parrott
It is for this reason that a peat-moss is such a bad or rather an impossible soil.
The Romance of Plant Life | G. F. Scott Elliot
Then comes the chance of that wonderful moss the peat-moss, or Sphagnum.
The Romance of Plant Life | G. F. Scott Elliot

There is a quantity of peat moss on the slopes at the foot of these mountains, often scored deeply by the numerous watercourses.
Across Iceland | William Bisiker

British Dictionary definitions for peat moss

peat moss

noun

any of various mosses, esp sphagnum, that grow in wet places in dense masses and decay to form peat: Also called: bog moss See also sphagnum

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

Scientific definitions for peat moss

peat moss

Any of various mosses of the genus Sphagnum, growing in very wet places, especially bogs, around the world. The leaves of peat moss have large dead cells surrounded by smaller living ones that contain chloroplasts. The walls of the dead cells are perforated and readily absorb water, up to 20 times their dry weight. The walls also contain phenol compounds that resist decay and have antiseptic properties. Peat moss releases hydrogen ions that increase the acidity of the water in bogs. Because of its ability to absorb liquids, peat moss is sometimes used as diaper material by traditional peoples and was once used in making bandages. Peat moss is now used primarily to increase the water-holding capacity of soil. Also called sphagnum See more at bog.

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