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sphagnum

American

[sfag-nuhm] / ˈsfæg nəm /

noun

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

sphagnum British

/ ˈsfæɡnəm /

noun

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

"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

sphagnum Scientific

/ sfăg′nəm /

See peat moss

Other Word Forms

sphagnous

adjective

Etymology

Origin of sphagnum

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

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.

See Examples For:

sphagnum

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

To explore potential targets for treatment-shortening strategies, Malhotra and colleagues turned to sphagnum peat bogs.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2024

And in peat bogs, the acid in sphagnum moss puts soft tissue through a tanning process that often preserves brain tissue.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 19, 2024

But their full decomposition was blocked by the chemicals that are produced when sphagnum moss, the main moss that comprises peat, degrades.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 6, 2024

He bandaged the wound with sphagnum moss and strips of deer hide.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023