peat moss

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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.

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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

pea soup, pea-souper, peat, peat bog, peatland, peat moss, peat pot, pea tree, peat reek, peaty, peau de soie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use peat moss in a sentence

In New York, district attorneys have a tendency to grow moss-bound in their roles.
Meet Dan Donovan, the Prosecutor Who Let Eric Garner’s Killer Walk|David Freedlander|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They agreed to let McKell and Moss join their tribe for a few days.
London’s Pagan Counterculture Kings|Justin Jones|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By the time the CFDA awards rolled round in early 1994, Moss was a bona fide star.
Sex, Drugs, and Kate Moss: Secrets of a Wild Supermodel|Tom Sykes|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Callahan claims that within weeks of leaving the Priory, Moss “got back on drugs.”
Sex, Drugs, and Kate Moss: Secrets of a Wild Supermodel|Tom Sykes|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He pops from the screen as a charismatic, occasionally messianic “human prism,” as Moss calls him.
The Pastor Who Scandalized His Town|Lloyd Grove|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He walked about, stumbling over sticks and stones and stumps, sometimes falling down on soft moss, and again on the hard ground.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
It was the home that had sheltered her orphan childhood; she had never slept a night from under its moss-grown roof.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
The large soft leaves and the pendent moss of the oaks were gray with dust, but the shade was cool and delicious.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Studying it very carefully, he thought he made out "Mrs." before the moss-blurred name.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
He had nearly bitten his swollen tongue in two falling over an unseen peat-cutting, and blood-flecked foam gathered on his lips.
Uncanny Tales|Various

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 peatAlso 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.

peat moss

Origin of peat moss

Words nearby peat moss

Words related to peat moss

How to use peat moss in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for peat moss

Scientific definitions for peat moss