sphagnum

[ sfag-nuhm ]

noun

any soft moss of the genus Sphagnum, occurring chiefly in bogs, used for potting and packing plants, for dressing wounds, etc.

Origin of sphagnum

1745–55; <New Latin, alteration of Greek sphágnos a moss

Words Nearby sphagnum

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

How to use sphagnum in a sentence

Peat is an accumulation of sphagnum moss and other organic matter that grows in wet areas.
Quick and dirty tips to make sure your plants love the soil they’re in | Ellen Airhart | October 7, 2021 | Popular-Science
When it can be had, florists or sphagnum moss is an excellent medium in which to pack roots for winter.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
I bade Joe lay more dry wood on the fire and kick it well, for the sphagnum moss still dulled it.
The Little Red Foot | Robert W. Chambers
De Golyer was back in a moment, both hands full of dripping sphagnum; and Nick washed away the mess of blood.
The Little Red Foot | Robert W. Chambers
Mr. Arnold, therefore, was provided with some sacks of sphagnum moss in which to stow his finds.
The Woodlands Orchids | Frederick Boyle

With German thoroughness, they made further experiments, and so "discovered" sphagnum moss from the surgeon's point of view.
The Childrens' Story of the War, Volume 4 (of 10) | James Edward Parrott

British Dictionary definitions for sphagnum

sphagnum

/ (ˈsfæɡnəm) /

noun

any moss of the genus Sphagnum, of temperate bogs, having leaves capable of holding much water: layers of these mosses decay to form peat: Also called: peat moss, bog moss

Origin of sphagnum

C18: from New Latin, from Greek sphagnos a variety of moss

Derived forms of sphagnum

sphagnous, 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

Scientific definitions for sphagnum

sphagnum

[ sfăg′nəm ]

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